


Progeny

by Gottahavemyncis



Series: Serendipity [7]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Family Feels, Gen, Serious Illness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:39:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 33,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27680122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gottahavemyncis/pseuds/Gottahavemyncis
Summary: Progeny is #7 in the Serendipity 'verse, following Homecoming, please read the other stories in the series first, otherwise this won't make sense. When Tim has a series of book signings out of state, adventures follow. Features Tim, Ellie, their family, including Jethro, Tony, other NCIS and family regulars. Rated T. Disclaimer on my profile.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Timothy McGee, Papa Gibbs - Relationship
Series: Serendipity [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/586993
Comments: 67
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO THOSE IN THE US, STAY SAFE AND WELL!

Progeny

Chapter 1

Tim and Ellie stepped out of the airline terminal early Thursday morning, smiling at each other. When Tim was scheduled for a series of book signings in San Diego, California, he asked Ellie to come with him. It would be their first trip away from the ranch, other than for work, since the birth of their youngest child, Joselyn, in January. Now it was April, almost 2 years post the Nuclear Attack on Washington, DC. and with Jossie, the baby's nickname, now four months old and sleeping a full 8 hours at night, the couple was confident their brood would be safe and happy with their grandparents, aunties and uncles for a few days.

Having arranged for an early check-in, the couple rode a shuttle from the airport to their beachfront hotel. Once in their room, they checked out the ocean view from their terrace before spending a few minutes unpacking. As Tim's first session started at 11:00, they had a little time to spare. After a quick walk on the beach, they returned to the pool deck and outdoor bar, finding a table and ordering lunch. Although there was only an hour's difference in time between New Mexico and the West Coast, they'd had breakfast quite early and Tim preferred that his stomach not be growling while he was talking with his Gemcity fans!

After a delicious lunch, they returned to the room where they changed clothes, Tim gathered everything he needed for the session and off they went!

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

That first session, which ended at 1:00 PM, went very well, with the perfect number of fans, enough to keep Tim busy while also leaving him time for a brief chat with many of them. When fans reported that the line was now winding around the block, Ellie, who'd stayed for this session, found the end and made her way forward, thanking each fan for being patient. Contacting a local café, she asked them to take beverage orders for the waiting fans, paying with one of Thom E Gemcity's credit cards.

Tim's second session, from 4:30 to 6:30, also went well. They'd returned to the hotel between sessions so Tim could soak his left hand. He would do that after each session, before he went to sleep that night and Friday morning before his first session. They had snacks at the hotel to tide them over as 6:30, which was 7:30 at home, was considerably later than they usually had dinner. Ellie did a little shopping, mostly browsing, during that second session.

Knowing they'd both be tired, they hadn't planned anything for that evening except perhaps another walk on the beach after dinner at the hotel.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Friday morning and Tim smiled as the next fan approached the table. They'd had a good crowd and these folks were almost the last ones. A young girl, looking older than 9-year-old Tyler but younger than 14-year-old Callum, stood in front of him. Tall and thin as a rail, she wore a scarf turban-style around her head, a medical mask over her mouth and nose, long sleeves and gloves on her hands. His heart went out to her. Then he noticed the girl's bright eyes, alive with excitement.

He held out his hand, first looking at the woman behind her who he hoped was her mother or at least with the girl. When she gave a quick nod, Tim again smiled at the child, "Hello, I'm Thom E Gemcity, what's your name?"

Her smile was invisible behind the mask but he could hear it in her reply. "I'm Tessa, Mr. Gemcity and I'm really happy to meet you!"

"I'm happy to meet you too, Tessa!"

They shook hands and then Tim turned to the mother who introduced herself as Avery Camden. Tim nodded, "I'm happy to meet you both. Now, what would you like me to sign and what would you like me to say?"

Tessa giggled, "My book, here, and just Tessa please, from you." She leaned forward, whispering, "Can you put Timothy McGee, your real name?"

He whispered back to her, "What makes you think that's my real name?"

"Because it's an anagram of Thom E Gemcity."

He chuckled and her eyes suddenly widened. "You look like my brother!"

"I do? What's his name?"

"There are two of them, twins, Seanie and Mark. They're 10. You look like Sean."

"Hmm, so how old are you, 14 or 15?"

"No way! I just turned 12!"

"Congratulations!"

He quickly signed her book adding a note with a winky face that his real name was not what she thought but he gave her 3 more smiley faces for her effort. She and her mother moved on while he signed books for the next people in line.

Ellie entered the bookstore, smiling at her husband. She'd dropped her purchases off at their hotel before coming in to meet him. They'd have lunch somewhere and do some sightseeing this afternoon. The one thing she and Tim decided ahead of their trip is that this year there would be no new babies for them! As she headed for one of her favorite genres, she noticed a woman discreetly watching Tim, accompanied by a young girl who looked tired and rundown.

Tessa's mother was trying to be subtle about hanging around the bookstore but she had a question for Mr. Gemcity and now that she'd met him, she had more than one question. While Tim did a quick wrap-up with the store manager, Ellie watched the woman, seeing her hesitancy and thinking that it would be great to do something extra for the girl. Finally deciding on a plan, she approached the mother, knowing Tim would love the idea.

"Excuse me. Hi, I'm Ellie, Thom's wife. I know this is unusual but he likes to get to know his fans when he can, hear their views, it really helps his thought process when he's writing. Would the two of you like to join us for lunch? We'll treat and I promise we're safe. We're both federal agents, here's my badge and ID."

Tim overheard her as he and the manager confirmed the hours for the signing sessions tonight and tomorrow. He smiled, lunch would be just the thing. He'd hoped to make the girl's day something special and he wanted to find out if there was anything they could do for her. What that might be, he had no idea. Except maybe to dedicate his next book, due out in 3 months, to her.

Ms. Camden agreed, feeling relieved and a little ashamed, thinking she'd been too obvious. But Tessa was thrilled and her daughter's happiness was a priority. She smiled when the couple asked for her recommendation for luncheon restaurants, obviously they were from out of town.

Taking separate cars, they met at the cafe, one with a patio that overlooked the bay. Ms. Camden smiled at them, "This is one of my favorite places. I love the patio out back, the food is good, it's quiet after the lunch rush and they serve until 3."

Ellie and Tim returned the smile and Ellie said, "Sounds perfect. Our hotel room looks out on the ocean and we've had a couple of walks on the beach but more ocean views are always welcome! We haven't seen it in a while."

"Do you live in the Midwest?"

"No, for most of the last two years we've lived in New Mexico. Before that, we lived in Virginia. I'm originally from Oklahoma and my husband was born in Maryland."

"Oh no, you lived in the strike zone?"

"Yes, in Arlington, just outside of DC where we worked."

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Are your family and friends all right?"

Tim nodded, "Took us awhile to reconnect with some of them but yes, everyone's all right. We were lucky…" He told her about the ranch in New Mexico purchased for family vacations and the shelter and those who stayed on afterward, still living on the ranch.

Ellie nodded, "My family has a ranch in Oklahoma but they sheltered with us. We didn't know how bad it would be or how long it would be before we could see or even talk with them."

"I'm so grateful you all got out. Were you on the government flights?"

Tim shook his head and briefly told her what they'd done.

"And now you live in Albuquerque, that's a big difference!"

Ellie chuckled, "We like the dry heat versus the humidity and the traffic in Albuquerque is hardly noticeable after years of the DC Beltway."

Ms. Camden nodded, "We lived in DC Metro for a few years and I remember that the traffic never let up!"

After placing their orders, Tessa pulled out her phone, "Here's a photo of my brothers."

Ellie looked at the photo before giving Tim a look. Resisting the impulse to sigh, he looked and hooked an eyebrow. One of the boys looked like him; the other looked like his dad. The only twins on Henry's DNA chart also had an older sister, who was now sitting right there with them.

He pointed to them, "That's Sean and that's Mark?"

She nodded but then was confused when her new friends turned to her mother. Her mom shrugged, "My former husband couldn't have kids and we wanted a family. We did a lot of research and decided to purchase genetic material from a cryogenics bank in Massachusetts."

Tim scrolled through his phone, finally finding the information he wanted. Handing Tessa's mother his phone, he said, "Does that information look familiar?"

She looked stunned at the information that contained the donor number of Tessa and the twins' biological father, blinking before nodding without looking up. Ellie looked at the girl, "Tessa, I'd really like to see the ocean. Would you like to come out to the patio with me?"

Ms. Camden nodded to her daughter, "That's fine, sweetie. No more than 15 minutes, our food will be ready by then. Keep your jacket, mask and gloves on."

"Ok, Mom."

She and Ellie walked towards the patio door as the other two watched. As soon as the child was out of earshot, Tim said, "Your daughter looks like her great-grandmother, my paternal grandmother Anne Baxter Gibbs. Mark looks like my dad; I'll show you a photo if we have time. My name is Timothy Jackson Gibbs; Sean and I both look like my maternal grandfather, McKenzie Fielding. What can we do to help Tessa?"

Appreciating the 'cut to the chase' approach, Ms. Camden said, "She needs a bone marrow transplant; at this point it may be the only thing that will save her. Everyone on my side of the family has been tested and no one is a match. I wrote to the Cryogenic Bank asking if they would contact our donor but I only sent it two days ago. When I saw you at the bookstore, you looked so much like Sean that I hoped God had answered our prayers."

Tim nodded, "I don't know much about bone marrow transplants but I do know there's a chance we won't match and even if we do, that doesn't mean it'll help Tessa. However, it's not just me. My grandfather, both my parents, my sister and my cousins, there are 7 of them, will want to test too. And my kids too, Ellie and I have 6 at home, 5 of whom share DNA with Tessa."

"There are age restrictions. No one under 18 or over 65."

"Okay, that eliminates my grandfather, 3 of the cousins and our kids. Our eldest is 9." He frowned, "We'll go ahead and test but I wonder if there's a way for the bank to contact any other donor offspring and ask if they'll help."

"Do you know how many there are?"

He shrugged, "Several although I don't know their names - just that they exist. When we adopted our son Henry, Social Services ran his DNA and came up with several half-siblings but they're listed as male or female, no names or birthdates. Is there anything else we can do? Financial support, help with the kids?"

"We're all right financially, thanks. My ex-husband works for the federal government and has a good medical plan. I also work and have medical insurance; between the two plans nearly everything has been covered." She held up crossed fingers. "My parents have been helping with the children. It's hard on the boys but they've been good."

"I'm assuming this is urgent, the transplant needed as soon as possible?"

"Yes."

"Is the testing done at the hospital or a doctor's office?"

"We did ours at the hospital. The test is a cheek swab; the extraction is done under general anesthesia, although on an outpatient basis. I'll call her primary doctor right now and see if you can be tested before you leave. How long are you here?"

"Sunday but I can stay longer if it means getting the test done and if I'm a match, I can return as soon as they can get things scheduled. We have 5 doctors in my family so I'll ask them to coordinate getting my parents, sister and cousins tested. Ellie will want to be tested too and possibly other people in our families."

"Wow, 5 doctors!"

Tim smiled, "We have a large family. A few of us, my parents, my sister the doctor, my grandfather, cousins, 5 of my kids and I are blood related. Along with my godparents, everyone else either married in, was adopted by my parents, my cousins or Ellie and me. A few other folks are good friends who've become family."

"A chosen family, wonderful."

"Yes, it is. Now, is Tessa's last name also Camden?"

"Oh no, it's Mays. Do you need her father's full name…I mean…?"

He smiled, "Child Protection Services refers to them as custodial fathers and I don't know if I need his name."

Asking to be called Avery, Tessa's mother made the phone call to her daughter's doctor while Ellie and Tessa wandered back inside. Their server arrived with their food just as the call ended. The ladies sat as Avery said, "Sunday morning, if that works."

Tim nodded, "We can make it work." He looked at Ellie who just nodded, if whatever 'it' was meant helping Tessa, she agreed.

As they finished eating, they could see Tessa was tiring; after making a few plans, they went their separate ways.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Instead of sightseeing, the Gibbses returned to their beachfront hotel, Tim explaining on the way. Once in their room, he pinged his parents, told them what they'd discovered and the need for their participation as well as Kelly's, Sarah's and Uncle Jim's. That is if each person wanted to do this.

After the call, Ellie looked at Tim. "I want to be tested, too. And we donated the cord blood from both Mackie and Joseyln. If either is still available, I'm sure we can get it for Tessa."

Grabbing her, he planted a big kiss on her lips. "You're brilliant!"

She giggled, "Thanks. I'll call my OBGYN; he should be able to point us in the right direction."

Leaving a message for the doctor and having set as much in motion as they could, the couple decided to stick with their original plan. Checking their list of places to see and things to do, they laughed as the first item had been written over with a note in Shannon's handwriting that said, "Relax on the beach and have fun. GO!"

After the shock of discovering three of Tim's donor offspring and realizing Tessa needed their help, they decided the beach was a great idea and were very glad it was a lot warmer today than it had been on Thursday. Stripping out of their clothes, they liberally applied sunscreen, donned their bathing suits, gathered towels, flip-flops, a book or two, threw on tee shirts, Ellie adding shorts, grabbed baseball caps, bottles of water, stuffed everything into a tote bag, stopping for chairs and umbrellas before they headed out the door to the beach, a 1-minute walk down the stairs of the pool terrace to the sand.

Because it was early enough that the marine fog that usually covered the sun May through June hadn't yet set in, there was a bit of a crowd on the beach. Carrying beach chairs and umbrellas as well as their tote bag, they walked to an area that wasn't as crowded. Setting the chairs close to the water, they sat for a few minutes before remembering their hats. Finally, removing their tee shirts and Ellie her shorts, they ran into the waves.

They played in the ocean for over an hour before they decided it was time for more sunscreen. After drying off, they attached the umbrellas to their chairs, applied the sunscreen and waited the 15-minute dry time. While they waited, they walked over to a surf shack, signing up for paddleboard rentals. They'd taken lessons in Hawaii during their honeymoon, practiced several times on Chesapeake Bay and again on the lake in Ruidoso the previous year. All the boards were out but several were due back in the next few minutes.

Checking their phones, they found texts from several family members and friends, all pledging to be tested for a match with Tessa. When they figured how many possible matches that was, they sent a message to the girl's mother, Avery Camden. Then the couple took the time to sign up with a Donor site. After completing that, they sent a group text, asking everyone to join one of the Donor sites if they were interested in helping anyone besides Tessa.

Returning to the surf with the paddleboards, they were careful about remaining fairly close to shore. When Ellie said she was hungry and it was again time for more sunscreen, they turned to head in. As they approached the shore, still about 20 feet from the beach, Tim felt a distinct bump underneath the tail end of his board. As he opened his mouth to tell Ellie to paddle faster, a helicopter swooped in, ordering everyone out of the water, there were sharks in the vicinity.

They paddled as fast as they could as another message blared out of the helicopter that there were as many as 25 great white sharks in the water. Their hearts pounding, Tim, Ellie and everyone else in the water made it safely to the sand.

Ellie was amazed to find that many of the surfers and paddleboarders sat on the sand waiting, hoping for an all clear. Tim took photos of the people sitting and waiting, with the chopper still patrolling and the lifeguards posting signs that the ocean was off-limits due to shark sightings. They decided not to send the photo as it would alarm their family. They'd show it to them when they reached home, safe and sound. They stuck around for another hour, relaxing and enjoying the ocean breezes.

Eventually they packed up, returning to the hotel. Tim had another signing session and then they'd have dinner at a restaurant recommended by the Vances. After that, they would embark on a starlit cruise on the Bahia Belle, a turn-of-the-century, Mississippi-style sternwheeler offering cruises of Mission Bay. While the sternwheeler offered entertainment beginning at 9:30 PM, cocktails and dancing were held from 11 PM to 1:30 AM. Tim and Ellie had carefully paced their caffeine consumption throughout the day so they'd be awake for the fun. Their Uber ride to and from the hotel was already scheduled so there would be no worries about driving afterward. They were free to enjoy their adult fun.

While they'd talked about scheduling the cruise for Saturday evening, they decided on Friday night and now were happy they'd done that. With the bone marrow tests coming up Sunday morning, they might need to abstain from any alcohol on Saturday. Furthermore, neither wanted to be hung over!

Ellie was glad they'd left themselves plenty of time after the book signing as the bookstore was mobbed that evening. The canny owner knew it would be easier for his working customers to come in after leaving work than to find time on Saturday. They'd scheduled for two hours and ran 90 minutes beyond that before the last fan had his book autographed.

Tim said it was a good thing they were done as his hand was seriously cramping up. Saturday's session didn't start until 11:30 so his hand would have time to recover. Just in case, Ellie spent some time carefully stamping Gemcity's signature into each book the publishers had shipped. That way Tim only had to add the person's name and whatever personal comment he wanted to make. While she did that, Tim soaked his hand in a mixture he'd put together over the years. To regain full function, he'd need to soak it for a few hours before tomorrow's session.

They were relaxing, Tim's hand still soaking when his phone chimed with a call. He smiled as he answered, mouthing "Dad" to Ellie. Nodding, she grabbed her book and headed into the sitting area of their suite.

Answering the phone, Tim said, "Hi, Dad!"

"Hey Timson! Called to see how you're doing after the discovery."

"Pretty well. I know how many donor offspring I have now so it wasn't as much of a shock as it might have been. But right there in the bookstore, that was a surprise. Especially because Tessa looks like a blend of Grandma Anne, Mom and Kelly. And one of her brothers, Mark, looks like your photos as a kid."

"Wow, that's something, isn't it? Who does the other one look like?"

"That's Sean and he's a Fielding. His hair is thicker, lucky kid, and it's about the same shade as Henry's but he's got the pale skin and green-blue eyes."

"I bet all three of them are beautiful."

"Aw, Dad. Those are your genes too, you know."

"Tell me about Tessa."

"She's 12 with long legs and arms; she'll be tall. Don't know what color her hair is, it fell out with the medical treatments. She has sparkling brown eyes and her skin tone is like yours. She's very thin right now and wears a mask and gloves when she's out in public. I hope to God one of us can help her, it breaks my heart! Anyway, she's smart as a whip, asked me if I would sign my real name – she figured out the anagram. The four of us had lunch together. While her mom and I talked, Ellie took Tessa out on the restaurant patio, says she told her all about the bay, how big it is, the history and what lives in it. Her surname is Mays and her father works for the federal government."

"Name sounds familiar."

"Ken Mays was Delilah's boyfriend."

"You think this is the same guy?"

"Don't know. I do know that whoever he is, he's not currently attached. Avery, Tessa's mom, told me that. She said her ex-husband is a great father, is always there for the kids and has been side by side with Avery, Tessa and the boys throughout Tessa's illness."

"Good to know. Are you going to ask about Delilah?"

"Hadn't thought about it. I don't care and there's no need to be polite about her, not with Avery, not if she was the 'other' woman!"

"You're not curious?"

Tim chuckled, "Funny man! Why would I give a flying flip about her when I'm married to the love of my life, have a wonderful family and happiness beyond my wildest expectations? Besides, Charlie's told us enough about her, I think the only emotion I could scare up would be to feel sorry for her. Both for her choices and that her life was ruined by Benham Parsa."

"Yeah, I guess that's true. You're a good man, Elf Lord!"

"Thanks. Now, how are our kids and you and Mom?"

Hearing the question, Ellie came back into the room to say hello to Jethro before they talked with the kids. They grinned at their brood, Ty holding squirmy Mackie, baby Joselyn blinking at them from her Nonny's arms while Brynie, Lia and Henry grinned back at them.

"Mommy, Daddy! Are you having fun?"

Tim told them a little about signing books while Ellie moved the tablet so they could see their daddy's hand still soaking. "Does it hurt?"

"Just a little bit now, Brynie. I'll soak it again tomorrow before I sign more books for people. Your mama helped by using the name stamp on a bunch of books so I won't have to write as much."

"That was nice, Mommy."

Ty asked if they'd been to the beach yet and they nodded. "We went to the beach and played in the water for a couple of hours. We'll show you the photos when we get home."

Their eldest frowned, "On the news there was a beach in California that had sharks and everyone had to get out of the water."

"Yes, we heard. No one got hurt."

"That's good! What are you going to do tomorrow?"

"Shopping, go to art galleries and adult stuff. We'll save all the really fun stuff to do when we're all here together."

"Cool! When do we get to do that?"

"We don't know yet, Brynie; we'll have to figure that out. We'll talk about it when we get home, how's that?"

"Ok, Mommy."

Lia and Henry told them about their fun time at pre-school and day-care and Mackie babbled at them with Henry translating. Baby Joselyn cooed at them as she tried to reach her feet.

Nonny had the babies wave good night to their parents. Tim and Ellie smiled as Liz stepped into camera range. "Just wanted to say hello and make sure you're all right."

"We're fine, Aunty Liz. We're going out to dinner in a few minutes and then we're going on a bay cruise."

She smiled, "Have a wonderful time!"

Ty and Brynie were with them for another few minutes before Poppy cut in, "Come on, you two. Your parents have to say goodbye now, you'll talk with them in the morning."

Saying goodbye, Tim and Ellie signed off and then looked at each other. Ellie shook her head, "I never think about having 6 kids but being here and seeing them…wow, we have 6 little kids!"

Tim laughed, "Been telling you that for months now! That's why you have your very own adobe house, so you can be Ellie and have time to yourself. Now, let's get changed and get going!"

"I don't think I've thanked you enough for that!" She pulled him in for a deep kiss, breaking only when his phone alarm buzzed at them.

Dinner was wonderful at the seaside restaurant a few miles up the coast, recommended by Leon and Lara, who'd found it while visiting Jared at his university. After they finished their meal, they each had a cup of coffee, the last bit of the caffeine they'd calculated they needed to stay awake during the bay cruise. As they left the restaurant both noticed the temperature had dropped several degrees, it was chilly!

As they climbed into their Uber vehicle, the driver shook his head, "I have bad news about your cruise. When I called to double-check the sailing time for tonight, there was a message that the cruise is cancelled due to the fog that's rolled in during the last couple of hours. The Coast Guard has restricted use of the bay until the fog lifts. No pleasure boats allowed. The message said your money will be totally refunded."

Tim rolled his eyes as he and Ellie both laughed. When they'd calmed down they told the man how much caffeine they'd consumed to stay awake for the cruise. Mike, their driver, chuckled. "There are plenty of things to do on land. Movies, clubs, bowling…"

That got another laugh before the couple asked for family friendly bowling lanes. After a couple of hours bowling, they declared themselves ready to sleep and Mike took them to the hotel. He'd be back in the morning to take them to the hospital for their tests.

Despite the caffeine, the couple slept after additional physical activity. When Tim woke the next morning, he found a note from the doctor he would see Sunday morning. With his DNA already in the databases, he'd passed the first test and would instead have additional testing. Wondering how long it would take to determine a match, he and Ellie splurged on a room service breakfast before getting ready for their day, which would be spent at the bookstore for another book signing session, followed by sightseeing around San Diego, particularly Old Town.

The book signing went well with another great turnout, although to their relief the session did not run over. By 2:00, Uber Mike, their driver from the night before, had delivered them to the trolley they'd use to see parts of San Diego.

They had a great time just being Ellie and Tim, enjoying the city. Finding a few treasures for their house and Ellie's 'she shed' which had evolved into a small adobe dwelling, they shipped everything home. They also purchased gifts for the children and all the childminders. Those items stayed with them, in Tim's pack. They especially had fun jumping on and off the trolley that took them around the city. After a late lunch, they returned to the hotel where they unpacked their purchases, changed into their swimsuits and headed out to the beach again.

After a relaxing and fun afternoon and early evening spent sightseeing, walking on the wet sand and relaxing on the beach, swimming and playing in the hotel pool, followed by naps on the chaise lounges around the pool, they showered and changed for cocktails, dinner and dancing.

While they'd planned to party aboard the bay cruise last night, they'd found an alternate, albeit land based, restaurant for tonight that was highly recommended by Uber Mike as well as the hotel concierge.

They had a wonderful evening dancing to some of their favorite music and enjoying a delicious meal as well as a few adult beverages, after they'd learned that they didn't need to abstain from alcohol for the tests they'd undergo on Sunday. Later, they agreed that they needed to take themselves out more often, certainly more than once or twice a year!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to reader Tyia, who asked a question about Abby and her niece, whose name is Menolly the same as it was in The Common Thread, leading to their inclusion here.

Chapter 3

Sunday morning, they were up early, walked on the beach and had a swim in the pool. With the fog still in, the ocean was too chilly this morning, not to mention the sharks might still be out there. After their swim, they had breakfast delivered poolside. Back in the room later, they showered and finished their packing. They’d already changed their flight home to one later in the afternoon and had arranged a late checkout.

Heading to the lobby, they saw their Uber vehicle pulling into the parking lot and climbing in, they greeted their driver and then chatted quietly as Mike drove them to the hospital, dropping them off. 

When they were taken to the exam rooms, Ellie was told that because her DNA was in the national databases, she too had passed the first test, testing for compatible human leukocyte antigens or HLAs. If the HLA test found genetic markers in her white blood cells that were like Tessa’s, Ellie might be eligible to serve as a blood marrow donor for the girl. Because the HLAs are in DNA, they were already being examined. 

The next steps for Tim and Ellie were tests for a long list of health problems that, while not necessarily preventing them from donating, would be a matter of concern. They were pleased to find that Kelly had already sent the results of their annual physicals, which they’d had two months ago. That meant the doctors could rule out most of the items on the list of health problems. Others they would still need to test.

Blood drawn and the few physical tests completed, Tim and Ellie met Tessa’s mother Avery in the waiting room about 40 minutes later. She smiled at them, “A Dr. Palmer sent our Dr. Reese the results of the tests that have been conducted in New Mexico, Illinois, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Wyoming. He or she also sent the latest physicals for several people. Tim, Dr. Reese said that includes three people named Gibbs, one named Chalmers and three people named Hubbard who are marked as relatives.”

Ellie smiled, “Oklahoma is my family, Wyoming is the son of a friend of Tim’s grandfather, Illinois is our friend Abby and Nebraska is…my gosh!”

Tim grinned, “D’arcy McKinna? Wonder how she heard about this?” He turned to Avery, “Another long story but she works for Child Protective Services and helped me with the fostering and then custody of our two eldest when their parents were killed. When we were evacuating from Virginia, she still had 6 foster children who needed homes. She called me and now each of those 6 has a family within our clan.

“Another story is our friend Abby in Illinois. Her brother’s former in-laws in Belize gave shelter to Abby, her brothers, her niece Menolly and the niece’s mother during the evacuation. When Abby returned to the U.S., she was assigned to our Central Office in Illinois and eventually her niece Menolly landed there, too. Not at NCIS, but living with Aunt Abby while she attends the Chicago High School for the Arts. I don’t think she’s 18 yet, so the test will have been Abby’s.”

Tessa’s mother smiled, “You’re amazing, both of you, and I imagine the rest of your family is just as wonderful!”

Ellie smiled, “When Tessa’s better, you should bring the children to the ranch for a visit.” Then she paused, “Are you going to tell them?”

“Yes, I spoke with Ken, my ex, last night and we decided we’ll tell them together today. And Tim, that was the question that I never did ask you yesterday. When Tessa said your author name was an anagram for Timothy McGee, I knew the name. Then you told her that wasn’t your real name and everything else happened.”

Tim nodded, “If you’re referring to the debacle with Delilah Fielding, yes that was me. I didn’t know then that I was not really a McGee. Two weeks after that fiasco, I brought Tyler and Bryn home to foster. Their DNA was run; I found out I was their biological father and that I wasn’t a McGee. My boss at the time, Jethro Gibbs, is my biological father and my mother is his wife Shannon. After that, I changed my name to Gibbs.

“To tell you the truth, I haven’t thought of that mess in years. Ellie and I started dating, got married and anything that came before was wiped away in the joy of our relationship.” He snorted before turning to Ellie, “Please don’t tell DiNozzo I said that, although I mean it with all my heart!”

She laughed, “I won’t, sweetie, I promise!”

Avery nodded, “I’m glad to hear that. Ken and I were drifting apart; I wasn’t surprised that he was seeing someone. I did feel badly for you though. They never married. Months later, he found out she was cheating on him and that was the end of that.”

Excusing herself, Avery stepped away, on her phone. In a couple of minutes, she returned, “Are you interested in being with us when we tell the children about you?”

Following his instincts and a decision he’d made 21 years ago, Tim shook his head, “No, thanks for asking. Your kids need to be reassured that Ken is their father. If they ever need anything or you ever need help, I’m happy to help but you and Ken are their parents.”

She smiled, “You’ve already demonstrated your willingness to help.”

Ellie jumped when her phone rang. Checking the ID, she smiled at Tim. “It’s Dr. Hunter.” He frowned and then remembered she’d called him about the cord blood.

Stepping away, she soon returned, all smiles. “Our children may be too young to be donors but we still have access to our baby’s cord blood. We donated it and my OBGYN just confirmed that while Mackie’s has already been put to good use, Joselyn’s is frozen, in storage. He’s notifying Dr. Reese now of the availability of cord blood from Tessa’s half-sister.”

Avery had to sit down. While cord blood had its share of dangers for the patient, overall it frequently presented fewer complications for patients who needed bone marrow and eliminated the use of a donor. That meant Tim and all the others who’d agreed to be tested wouldn’t have to go through any more of the process.

Tim and Ellie stayed with her, smiling when Dr. Reese nearly ran down the corridor to them. He grinned, “You’re my new favorite people, thank you for donating the cord blood. Dr. Hunter says you did so for your older child too but that’s already been used.”

Tim nodded, “Mackie’s 18 months old; Joselyn is 4 months.”

“This is wonderful news. Avery, the cord blood will be on a plane tomorrow, it will be here before the end of the day.”

“Doctor, will you have to do any compatibility tests?”

“No, that’s one of the good things about it.” He turned back to Avery, who was wiping her eyes. “I need Tessa to return today, we need to start her prep.”

Avery nodded, “Ken has the kids at his place. I’ll go tell them and one of us will return with Tessa in three hours. We need some family time before she has to come back, even if is for a good reason this time.”

The doctor nodded and shaking hands with the Gibbses, thanking them once again, returned to his office. Avery gave them each a kiss as she left, “Thank you so much. We’ll keep you posted. And please give everyone our thanks for their generosity.”

After she left, Ellie and Tim stood there looking at each other. Finally, Tim smiled, saying, “Our own child has rendered us useless before she’s even learned to sit up!”

Ellie started to laugh and recognizing the symptoms of relieved stress and hunger, Tim steered her down the hall and to the lobby. They called Uber Mike who picked them up in less than 10 minutes. “So, what happened? Isn’t this faster than you anticipated?”

“Yes, turns out they found a better donor, which is a good thing.”

“Great! Where would you like to go now?”

Ellie’s tummy growled and Tim grinned, “Know any good diners?”

“Diners? Wow, you really are my kind of people! Yes, I do, if you don’t mind a drive up the coast?”

Ellie grinned, “That’s sightseeing, Mike, works for us!”

As he drove, the couple put together a text to be sent to those who’d been tested to help Tessa. Once they’d sent it, they relaxed, looking at the scenery. Their driver was taking them via the coastal route, a beautiful drive. They smiled as they passed the restaurant where they’d eaten the night before and kept going. Finally, they pulled up in front of an old-fashioned looking diner.

Mike looked back at them, “We’re in the town of Preston and this is my favorite diner, called ‘The Eatery’.”

Tim grinned, “In New Mexico, our favorite diner is called ‘Diner the Great’. It’s owned by a friend from home, from Maryland. She owned a diner there too, with the same name. I lived in Silver Spring, where the diner was, for several years and my siblings and I thought we’d died and gone to heaven.”

Ellie nodded, “In Virginia, we had a favorite diner called ‘Elaine’s’. Elaine and her husband left home with us and sheltered at the ranch in Albuquerque before moving to Oregon. Tim’s dad ate there for more than 20 years.”

“I didn’t realize you were part of the evacuation, I’m sorry you had to go through that. Were you able to stick together?”

Tim nodded, “Our whole family, yes. My grandmother and another family member were out of the country when the evacuations started but we knew they were safe.”

Before they went in, Tim took photos of the sign, sending it to Nancy and the Rourkes. _“Outside of San Diego, know it won’t be as good as your places but Ellie’s hungry…miss you! Love Tim and Ellie”_

As they slid into a booth, Tim’s phone buzzed with a text. From Elaine, she sent her love, saying they missed their Virginia family and were still homesick for the ranch. He showed the text to Ellie who frowned. “They left before Mackie was born; it’s been at least 18 months. I thought their visit last year would help.”

“Guess not. You know, there’s plenty of room on the ranch and they could have another diner, maybe only open on weekends so they wouldn’t have to work as hard. If they wanted to do that.”

They explained to Mike, whom they’d invited to eat with them. He nodded, “Seems like 18 months would be enough time to settle into a new place. But you folks sound like you’re still missing Virginia.”

“We do but that’s different. We had to leave; there wasn’t any choice. Elaine and Jacob left for Oregon to be closer to their kids, they’d already made their plans, sold their home and diner before anything much was known about the threat. But from what they’ve said, they don’t see their kids any more than they did back East.”

Ellie shrugged, “What’s holding them back?”

Tim made a face, “They might feel obligated to stay there. You know, in case their kids do decide to visit or maybe because they bought the house. Moving across country was a huge decision for them, they’d lived in Virginia their entire lives. Of course, they would have had to leave anyway.”

Mike grimaced, “Don’t know your friends but it sounds like they need a nudge.”

Ellie tilted her head, “After the evacuation and having to leave so much behind, I doubt any of us want to move again, ever. They had a hard time leaving us when they took off for Oregon. Even if they’re not happy, the thought of uprooting themselves again might be too overwhelming.”

They agreed but as it wasn’t their problem to fix, looked at the menu. Mike chuckled when he noticed the amount of coffee they were consuming. “What time’s your flight this afternoon?” The hotel had a free airport shuttle so he wouldn’t be driving them.

“Two-forty-five. We’ll be in New Mexico by 5:30 Mountain time and being swarmed by our kids by 6:30.”

“Back to work tomorrow?”

“Yes, back to our real lives.”

“Sounds good to me! You two sure have had an adventure here. Meeting that little girl, helping her out, escaping a shark attack!”

“Don’t know if we’ll tell the kids about that right away.”

Ellie huffed, “Brynie will be upset that we didn’t see them.”

“How old is she?”

“7 ½.”

“Ah, that’s a fun age.”

“You have kids, Mike?”

“Three, two girls and a boy, all grown and starting their own lives. No grandkids yet. My nieces and nephews have kids though and they’re a lot of fun.”

Their food arrived and they were quiet as they dug in. Tim nodded as he swallowed his last bite. “You know your diners, man, this was delicious. Totally in line with Nancy and the Rourkes!” 

“Thanks, I’ll take that as high praise!”

Paying the bill, they climbed back in the car. Mike asked if they’d like to see a nearby beach and they nodded. The fog was still thick and the sharks were still out there but they could walk on the sand. When they parked, Mike opened the trunk and dug around, handing out a couple of towels and two jackets that fit the Gibbses well enough. It would keep the chill of the fog off them.

They walked down the pavement to the beach, noticing a barbecue grill and a couple of chairs entrenched in the sand at the back of the beach. There weren’t any people around though. Tim looked up and pointed to a deck that had to have a spectacular view. “I bet the grill and chairs belong to them. They probably grill down here all the time and just leave their stuff.” He looked around, “Dad and Mom would love it here!”

Ellie grinned, “Thinking of buying a vacation home here? Now that we live in our former vacation home?”

“It’s a thought. Probably nothing as big as our house but something close to the beach.”

She nodded, “I love the idea. A week or two in Ruidoso or wherever else and then a week here. And if all the parents agree, the Mays kids could meet our kids.”

“Huh, have to think about the Mays kids, Els. But I agree that just being here would be a blast for our kids and us. We could get a house with maybe four or five bedrooms and then have sofa beds and bunkbeds to house more people. It would be great if your folks would come out too.”

She looked at her watch. “I love the idea, Tim. And we can afford it after this last book outdid all the others. But we don’t have time to talk with a real estate agent today. When are you due out on one of your office visits?”

He smiled, his eyes sparkling with an idea, “Hang on…here’s another thought. What do you think of this: We fly out in June, bring the kids, maybe ask our folks to join us and stay a week? I’ll do what I need to here and then when you go home, I’ll continue to San Francisco, Seattle and the other offices.”

She grinned, “Great idea! But how about we turn that around and come later in the summer, right before school starts? They’re starting in late August this year which will help, plus that’s always the hardest part of the summer, after vacation and summer camp. No fog here by then and I haven’t seen any evidence of the big wildfires they have in California. And maybe you could visit your offices first? I hate the thought of going home without you! It’ll be much more fun to meet up with you after you’ve been gone…” she gave him a sultry smile before changing the tone of her voice, adding, “That also gives us more time to find a place to rent.”

They exchanged high-fives and then a kiss or two. When they got back to the car, they asked Mike if he knew any real estate agents in the area. He grinned, “Four days and you’re ready to move out here?”

Tim snorted while Ellie exclaimed, “No way! We haven’t been in our new house a year! We’re thinking of vacation rentals or maybe buying something out here for vacations. We all miss water! There’s a pool on the ranch and there are rivers but there’s no Chesapeake Bay or ocean beaches in the desert.”

“So you’d bring your kids and your friends and family would join you?”

Tim nodded, “Yes. Last year a bunch of us rented cabins up in the mountains of New Mexico and there’s a great little lake there. That was fun with some of my siblings and some of Ellie’s, plus all the little cousins. My family did that back in 2016, before Ellie and I married, same place and this year everyone wants to go. Last year we had four new babies, barely sleeping through the night so their parents, one of my sisters and two of my brothers, didn’t get to go. So that will be our clan vacation and this will be our ‘just us’ vacation.”

Mike shook his head, “And you all live on one ranch.”

Ellie chuckled, “Some live in town. Several of us work at the same place, too.”

“Geesh! Don’t know if I could stand to be around my siblings that much.”

Tim and Ellie laughed, “The property is 600 acres and most of us have our own homes either on the ranch or in town. We don’t see everyone every day. On a normal day, we take the kids to school or day-care, go to work, come home, play with the kids, have dinner, give them some free time and then start putting them to bed.”

Tim nodded, “We try to spend some time alone and that’s pretty much it. Weekends are chores and time with the kids. And then we see the other kids, the cousins, and their parents, my siblings. And my parents, godparents, grandparents are always around too.”

“Wow!”

Ellie smiled, “We manage. Once a month we spend a Sunday afternoon catching up with everyone at a family dinner. That’s always fun and any big announcements are made then. Tim’s grandmothers say it’s an old-fashioned way of doing things but it works for us. After all, the extended family lived in a shelter together for 14 weeks; we know each other very well.”

“I guess if you can survive that and still want to be around each other, that’s a win.”

The Gibbses nodded as they looked out the window at the scenery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay safe, everyone! Someday the virus will be squelched and I hope each and every one of us will be around to celebrate!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Back at the hotel, they thanked Mike for all his help, waving goodbye as he left. They still had nearly two hours before catching the airport shuttle. Grabbing their swim gear, they changed, grabbed towels and walked down to the hotel pool. They swam for 40 minutes before forcing themselves out of the pool to dry off. While they sat in the sun, they looked for vacation beach rentals and realized if they didn't want to stay in a hotel, they needed to find a place quickly.

While Ellie was showering, Tim called the real estate agency listed for one of the rentals they'd seen online. With their timeframe, there was no way they could see the place in person before they left but they'd taken a virtual tour online and thought it was perfect. The house was 2 blocks from the beach they'd visited today, with the center of town just a mile away. There were 7 bedrooms and 4½ bathrooms, an updated kitchen, big dining area, a family room/den and a pool. Tim made an offhand comment about the pool being a good idea when the sharks were around and the agent exclaimed in surprise. "Did you hear about that or were you there?"

"We were there. My wife and I were out paddleboarding when I felt a bump on the board, kind of glancing off the back. We were already on our way in when the helicopter swooped in and ordered everyone out of the water."

She made a noise, saying, "Thank heavens they're able to monitor them as closely as they do and welcome to San Diego! Now, what time is your flight and what time will you be at the airport?"

Tim told her and she said, "How about I meet you at the airport and we get the most important paperwork signed? Then I can secure the house for you and I'll send the rest of the paperwork. You can sign and get them back to me."

"That's a good idea. We'll be in the terminal for Southwest Airlines; we'll hang out under the Departures sign closest to the ticket counters. I'll send you a photo of us."

"Great and I'll send you one of me too."

When Ellie got out of the shower, she laughed at the plan. "I feel like we're playing spy!"

Tim snorted, "Playing is the operative word!"

She was packed by the time he had his shower. Within minutes after he was out, he was also packed and ready to go. They had a zippered bag with the gifts for the kids and their cadre of minders for the last few days. Poppy, Nonny, Penny, Lu and the Cranes had spent a night while several people rotated watching the kids in the late afternoons, evenings and over the weekend. On Thursday and Friday, the DiNozzos and Palmers drove them to and from school and day-care and other family members fed and played with them at home until the overnight crew arrived.

When the Gibbses reached the hotel lobby, they found the shuttle there a few minutes early. With light traffic, they made good time to the airport and only had a 5 minute wait to check their bags. They'd just finished that when Tim spotted their real estate agent.

After exchanging IDs and greetings, they got to work. Ellie set her phone alarm to give them enough time to get through security. By the time it buzzed, they'd signed the most important papers and several others. Ms. Davis, the real estate agent, had copied the rest of the paperwork and Tim stuffed it in their carry-on bag. By this time, she'd heard of their thought to buy a vacation home out here and promised to have some lined up to view while they were here.

Then they were off. With Tim's flights to visit his Cybercrime teams, he and Ellie had registered for TSA's pre-check, making things easier. Their flight home was quick, an hour and 30 minutes. They were happy to find Ty, Brynie and Poppy waiting for them in Baggage Claim. The couple laughed as they walked out the door into the warmth of desert Albuquerque, quickly explaining the marine layer fog and having to wear jackets at the beach earlier in the day.

On the way home, the kids wanted to know how the 'sick girl' was and Ellie told them she was back in the hospital so the doctors could give her the cord blood. The kids said Aunty Kelly explained what that was and they were glad baby Joselyn was helping Tessa.

When they reached their house, Ty and Brynie stayed with Poppy for a little while so the little kids could cuddle with Mommy and Daddy. Lia cried when she saw them and Henry was torn between comforting her and hugs with their parents. Ty and Brynie came to the rescue and soon Lia was giggling in their daddy's arms with Henry and Mackie. When baby Joselyn saw them, she smiled and cooed, moving her legs and arms, her version of excitement.

Tim and Ellie sat on the sofa, cuddling, hugging and kissing each child with the littles climbing from one to the other and back again. The older ones were careful not to disturb the baby in Mommy or Daddy's arms and each eventually had his or her turn.

Nonny and Aunt Claire were also there. Although Tim had prepared and frozen enough dishes so no one would have to do anything but microwave the meals, they'd decided to surprise the couple with a tasty recipe made in the slow cooker. They gave the couple plenty of time to cuddle with the children before telling them to wash up for dinner.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Later that evening, when the kids were all in bed, Tim and Ellie sat down outside for coffee with Jethro and Shannon.

"We have a few things we'd like to discuss with you, besides our gratitude for taking care of the kids. First, thanks for the support with Tessa, everyone did a fantastic job. Your test results are in all the databases now; it'll be up to you to decide whether to be a donor if you're ever approached.

"Second, we've rented a house for 2 weeks in August, two blocks from a beach north of San Diego and we hope you'll come with us. It's shortly before school starts, after Ruidoso and the kids' day camp. We had a thought that we might eventually want to buy a vacation house there but not this year!

"Third, we had a text from Elaine, a reply to one we sent her, saying they're still homesick for the ranch and all of us. Ellie and I don't understand why they don't move home. There's plenty of room, they could live in a guesthouse, in the ranch house or even build their own place. Their kids could just as easily visit them here as in Oregon, especially as much as they've been traveling. And there's no diner of their caliber here in town, we were thinking they could have one that's only open on the weekends or Friday through Monday, something that won't be as much work. If they're even interested in doing that."

Shannon looked at them, "That's a lot of discussion. The easiest one is the Rourkes, we agree. We were going to wait until there was a firm date to let everyone know but yes, they are moving home. We've been working on them and when Pete heard, he called and offered to move their belongings. If they don't want to drive, he'll tow the RV and the car can go in with their furniture, apparently they don't have much. Jacob has a couple of projects he wants to finish before they put the house on the market. They hope to be here by September."

Ellie and Tim high-fived over that.

Shannon and Jethro exchanged glances and then Jethro chuckled, "I'm not surprised about the beach vacation this summer. We all miss the Chesapeake and the Atlantic beaches. If Mac's place was safe, we'd go in a heartbeat. If your mother and I can clear our busy schedules," there was general laughter at that, "yes, we'd love to go with you!"

Ellie grinned, "Yay! We've asked my parents, too. The house has 7 bedrooms, 2 downstairs and 5 upstairs. It's a couple of blocks from the beach, very walkable. And there's a large, shaded patio, a yard for the kids to play in and a pool."

Shannon looked puzzled, "Why would they have a pool so close to a beach?"

Jethro huffed, "For the days when the sharks are trolling the beaches." He looked at his son, "We saw it on the news and you haven't mentioned it. What happened?"

Ellie's jaw dropped while Tim looked up at the ceiling, shaking his head. "Sometimes I forget what a natural investigator you are. We didn't want to scare the kids."

"Who are now asleep in bed, so?"

"Yes, we were there, our hotel was on that beach. We played in the waves for a while before we rented paddleboards. We weren't out too far and we'd been on the boards for close to an hour when we needed more sunscreen and Ellie was hungry. As we headed to shore, with Ellie to my left and a few feet ahead of me, the end of my board was bumped from underneath. At the same time, a sheriff's department helicopter came swooping in, blasting an order for everyone to get out of the water immediately. The beach was still closed today. They counted 25 great white sharks, said that they were probably very young, which makes them more unpredictable. The bump is one of the signs that they're hungry and becoming aggressive."

Shannon's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head. "And this is the place you want to take our grandchildren?"

"Yes, now that we know how closely they monitor all the beaches and we can check before anyone gets in the water and while they're in the water. One of us will have to be on the beach with the babies anyway, so that person can monitor the site. There are lifeguards on the beach where we'll be staying and they have boats, too. And if there are sharks, we'll either find a beach that's safer, swim in the pool, take the kids to the zoo or all the other fun places there."

"All right. Have you thought about taking them to see the Mouse?"

The younger couple frowned until they realized Mom meant Disneyland. "It's on our list but we haven't talked about what day, figured we'd find the least crowded day of the week."

Dad huffed, "Maybe the first day of school."

"That's a possibility, Dad. Schools here start later than they do in California so there is a chance. We'll look it up."

"If you buy a place, how much use would you get out of it?"

Ellie answered, "We'd be there at least 2 weeks every summer and maybe for winter break in February. We figure other family members or friends can use it too. We'll rent the place out when none of the family are there. The real estate agent we met with says there are good solid vacation rental property companies; we'll sign up with one of them."

Jethro nodded and then Shannon asked when Tessa was having the procedure. "Sometime this week, maybe Tuesday. The cord blood will be transported tomorrow and I know there is some preparation she needs to have but I don't know what's involved."

"Sooner the better, I imagine."

"Yeah, that's what her mother said. And Dad, Avery, that's Tessa's mother, confirmed that her ex-husband is the same Ken Mays who was Delilah's boyfriend. They didn't last long; she cheated on him, too."

His parents shook their heads and then after giving their kids kisses goodnight, Jethro and Shannon left, driving the Challenger back to the ranch house. Their kids didn't like them, or anyone else, driving the open-air ATV around the ranch after dark.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Knowing the vacation house was secured, they left the rest of the paperwork at home the next morning, they'd tackle it that evening.

Work wasn't as painful as each feared. For all the adventures over the weekend, they'd only been gone for one full workday. Tim felt a little guilty for not stopping in to see his team in San Diego but they'd scheduled their arrival to give themselves time to check-in, unpack and catch their breaths before his first book signing session. Not everyone knew about Gemcity and he preferred to keep it that way.

There were of course many emails and both had to wade through to find the significant ones, those that could be read later and those that could be deleted immediately. Toward the end of the day, Tim had an email from Avery confirming the cord blood had arrived and that Tessa's preparative regime had started Sunday afternoon, including a round of chemotherapy. With the head start, the transplant coordinator had scheduled the procedure for 7:00 AM Wednesday morning. That was 8:00 AM here in Albuquerque; Tim thought it would be a long morning before they heard how she'd done.

The transplant of the cord blood was just the start of a long wait while the stem cells got to work. The first 30 days were when engraftment would start, that is, when the new blood-forming cells would start to grow and make healthy blood stem cells. Before they started to grow, Tessa would be very susceptible to infection. After her cells began to grow, her blood cell counts would improve as would her immune system. She'd be able to leave the hospital at some point during the first 100 days although there would be many outpatient visits, sometimes daily. According to what Tim read, those first 100 days were the most crucial.

Before he turned back to his work, Tim marked the 100th day on his calendar. While he didn't intend to be any more involved than he had been, he remained concerned for Tessa and her family.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Happy Birthday New Chapter for Reston Reader and anyone else's birthday it might be! Enjoy!

Chapter 5

By Tuesday, he and Ellie were back in the swing of things, with work and family life. They had lunch with Tony, Maggie, Jimmy, Bob and Ned, catching up on all the family and agency gossip. Ned announced that he and Barry were buying a house together. He showed photos of it and laughed at the others' reactions. It was definitely a 'fixer upper'. They'd do some of the work themselves while Gibbs, Shannon and Tobias would dust off their renovation skills and do the more complicated stuff. Tobias' partner, Bec's Aunt Mel, wanted to help and Bill would also help when he had time. Freddie and Jose were already on board for the plumbing. When Ned looked pleadingly at Tim, he nodded; he'd somehow find time to look at the electrical system already in the house. Their targeted move-in date was August 1st.

Bob told them his parents were arriving from the Philippines for the twins' first birthday. The senior Chalmers would stay with their son and his family in the guest suite designed just for them. Although this would be Bob's parents' second visit, this was the first time they'd see and stay in the new house. Much to Bob's joy, his maternal grandparents were coming, too.

The DiNozzos thought about what news they might have. Arin would start pre-kindergarten when school started in late August and he was excited about that. Juli, the baby's nickname, had mastered crawling and Tony predicted she'd be walking by her birthday the following week. Maggie made a face, telling the Gibbses and Palmers they needed advice on advanced baby proofing.

Jimmy laughed, saying the most necessary thing was impossible, putting brakes on their child who would likely run more than she'd walk and wouldn't know how to stop without crashing. Ellie and Tim agreed, both Lia and Mackie had proved that and they were sure Jossie would do the same.

They mentioned the possibility of buying or leasing a house on the beach in San Diego and saw some eyes light up. Bob said he'd talk with Sarah about it, Jimmy would discuss it with Breena and Maggie said they'd look at their budget. Ned shook his head, "Sorry guys, not with the renovations and a mortgage."

Although the group tried to have lunch every week, it'd been over a month since all of them had been together. As always, Tim felt refreshed after spending time with his former teammates and fellow agents.

That evening they sent the rest of the rental paperwork to their California real estate agent, deciding to tell the children after their trip to Ruidoso in July.

When they'd talked about going somewhere other than Ruidoso this year, several of their siblings objected. George and Eileen, Ellie's brother and sister-in-law, said it was their turn to go, having had to stay and work the ranch last year. The DiNozzos were adamant they were going, as were the Chalmers, including Haley, the Perrys and nearly everyone else. The Blake-Fornells were taking a 2-month trip to Europe, renting an apartment just outside of Bologna, Italy, to use as their base of operations. No Ruidoso for them this year, although Emily would join the trek to the mountain resort.

With everyone gone from the ranch, there was concern about leaving the place vacant. As their house wouldn't yet be ready, Barry and Ned offered to 'ranch sit'. After more discussion, they decided to move out of their apartment at the end of June and stay at the ranch until their house was ready. The only condition from the ranch owners was that their stay would be rent-free and when the family offered a guesthouse along with free storage, the couple gratefully accepted.

When Ana announced that she and Bill would go to Ruidoso, staying in the motel, no one was surprised. The two had evolved from dancing partners into a couple. Remembering Ziva's past dating history, Tim, Tony, Sarah, Rob and Geo worried about Bill having his heart broken but it hadn't happened. While Bill's bed and dresser were still in the shelter, he spent most of his time with Ana in the guesthouse she'd moved into after spending a few months in the ranch house.

Pete was still moving people around the country but decided to join the others at Ruidoso this year. Although he'd heard about it for many years, he'd never seen the place and decided it was about time. He, Dick (Colonel) Barnes and Mac would share a cabin. Charlie Fielding and Eleni were going, too, sharing a cabin with Lu and Penny.

The four newlyweds, Rob and Ali, Kelly and Matt were also joining the crowd, although they too would rent motel rooms, as would the Mallards. The Vances were also joining them. With Jared and Kayla home for a few weeks, Lara and Leon decided the resort in the mountains sounded like a great place for family fun and rented one of the larger cabins for the 6 of them.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

As Tim walked into the kitchen late one afternoon, Ellie looked up from feeding Joselyn and Mackie, smiling at the look on her husband's face.

"Hon, I'll take one of them."

"All right." With a kiss, Ellie handed baby Joselyn to her daddy. Chugging away at her bottle, the baby kicked her feet, happy to see her father. Mackie squealed at him as he ate his dinner. Once Jossie was finished, she and Daddy sat in the kiddy corral. She sat safely between Daddy's legs, his arm around her, working on various new skills. When she leaned into his leg and then pulled herself back up, her parents were excited, that was a big step! The baby made a noise as she mouthed the toy she'd scored when she leaned.

She had some tummy time while Mackie played with his toys and the rest of the family had dinner. Afterward, they all played together, the big kids helping the baby and Mackie. After the babies and the littles went to bed, Ty and Brynie played tag with their parents in the backyard.

Tim watched his two eldest as they played; thinking about something Ellie mentioned a couple of months ago. She thought it would be a good idea for Ty and Brynie to go to an overnight camp for several days. It would give them more exposure to kids outside of the extended family, learn some new skills, have fun and start to give them some independence. She'd gone when she was their age and loved it. She'd made friends with whom she was still in touch.

The church they belonged to had overnight camps with different sessions running from June until the end of July. Kids could go for a one-week or a two-week session. Tim realized he was reluctant because of his own childhood. He wouldn't be abandoning them and they'd never had to live in a tent. And he'd been 9 when he was forced into parenthood of Sarah and Rob. His kids weren't as mature as he'd been but that was in part because they hadn't been forced to parent their younger siblings, although both loved to help with them. Certainly they were more sheltered but that was a good thing. And maybe they weren't sheltered so much as given the love and nurturing he hadn't had unless, he guessed, his grandparents, uncles or godparents had been around.

After the kids were in bed, he and Ellie cuddled together in their favorite evening spot on the adobe bench in the front courtyard. "Sweetie, I was thinking about your suggestion of overnight camp for the kids. Is there still time to sign them up for this summer?"

Ellie worked hard not to let her jaw drop. She'd brought the subject up this year hoping that by next year Tim would agree. This was a huge step for him.

"Yes, Pastor Miller sent out an email last week that registration would start May 8th, a week from Saturday. The first session starts on a Saturday and ends the following Saturday. The next session starts on Sunday, the day after the end of the first session and it's a full two weeks. They alternate like that throughout the summer. The last 8 day session is actually 9 days and overlaps two days with a 2-week camp, ending the Friday before school starts. Working around our other plans, they could go to the very first session or the one that's after Ruidoso but then they'd miss the second week of day camp, and it ends right before we leave for San Diego."

Tim nodded, "Sounds a little rushed to me. What's your gut feeling about one week vs. two?"

She leaned into him, kissing him before answering, "I think the first time, one week is enough and I think they should go to that first session. It will leave them wanting more and it'll start the summer off right."

"Then 2 weeks next year?"

"Sure, if we feel they're ready for it."

"I know there are all kinds of different camps. I'm glad you suggested the church camp, they can be together there."

"Yes. I think at some point Brynie might want to go to a sports camp and Ty to a math and science camp."

"They're still outdoors, though, right?"

"Yes and all the camps I've looked at have activities other than the main topic. So the math and science campers will swim and hike and the sports camp might have crafts or some other non-sports activities." She paused, "Tim, they'll sleep in cabins, there aren't any tents at the church camp. And we can look at the camp beforehand. The cutoff is on the way to Ruidoso."

He nodded, relieved, "Great idea, that will help. How about we tell them the day before signups?" He chuckled, "That's two surprises for the summer: camp and then the beach! They'll have summer camp to look forward to and then Ruidoso, day camp and then San Diego!"

Ellie smiled, "Want to tell them about San Diego the day after we get back from Ruidoso, also known as the 'Day of Endless Whining'?"

They laughed at that, it was so true! They'd done a little whining themselves although not within earshot of the kids.

Ellie said, "My mom will tell you my brothers and I did the same thing when we came home from camp. I'll deny it of course, but it's true."

"Okay, so post-camp and Ruidoso. Yikes, I'm glad school starts so soon after we get back from San Diego. Which reminds me…"

"Hmm?"

"Well, I had this idea that maybe we rent an RV, tow the van and drive to San Diego. But then after I thought about it, I realized this year would be too difficult with the babies. Maybe in a couple of years when they're older. We could stop at the Grand Canyon and a few other places. Stay in KOAs or RV parks, have a little patio furniture with us so you and I can sit outside when the kids go to bed."

"How many days would that add on?"

"Depends on how many stops we make."

"How long a drive is it, without stops?"

"11 ½ hours."

"Oh, that's not bad!"

Tim grinned, "There are all kinds of fun things to stop and see."

"Mm, our first road trip with all the kids. It sounds like fun but I agree, let's wait until Mackie and Joselyn are older, at least until they are both out of diapers."

"Cool! So, I looked at flight costs for this summer's trip to California and it looks like we can bundle in a rental van and save some money." He showed her his worksheet and she frowned at some of the costs for the kids. And then realized those were only on there for comparison.

"That's good. And we'll save by booking early, right?"

"Yes. Guess we should wait until we get the final papers from Ms. Davis but we're good to go after that."

She laughed, "Wow, if Mom and Dad fly down here from Tulsa to join us, we'll have 12 of us on one flight, 14 if Penny and Lu go with us. Don't suppose anyone has a group rate? Too bad charter flights are so expensive."

Tim chuckled, "I considered charters and you're right, it's expensive. And they don't want the short flights; they require a minimum of 2 hours. Maybe if we were going overseas or something, after we win the lottery!"

"No group rates on the commercial flights?"

"Let's check into that, would certainly help!"

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Both Tim and Ellie woke early the next morning, the day of Tessa's procedure. Ty and Brynie also remembered and their parents promised to let them know any news as soon as they were told.

It was a long day. Tim did his best to focus on his work, finally deciding he'd better stick to items he could do by rote. No coding, no casework, no evaluations. At 1500, his phone buzzed with a text. From Tessa's mother Avery, it said the procedure had gone well, Tessa was doing fine and this was Day 100, with 99 to go. Forwarding her text to Ellie, he replied to Avery with a "YES!" As Tyler and Brynie were likely already on the bus from school to the day care/after school center, he sent a brief text to his son's cell phone, letting him know the good news. He sent one more text, to his parents and changed the 100th day on his calendar before resolutely turning to his work.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NICS

The day before they registered the kids for church camp, they sat Ty and Brynie down to tell them. That was fun and watching the kids' faces as they began to understand what was happening was even more fun. Both kids cheered and hugged their parents tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

When they wanted to know more, Ellie smiled, "When we register you for camp tomorrow, they'll give us an information sheet that will tell us what you'll be doing and what you'll need to bring."

"Cool, this is so cool!" The two of them jumped around in excitement.

After they returned home from registering, they sat at the table together reading the information sheet. No electronics were allowed. Their cell phones would be given to them when they were hiking and if they wanted to call home but would otherwise be locked up. If their parents needed to reach them, they'd call the main office at the camp. They'd sleep 6 to a cabin, with one adult and meals would be served at an outdoor pavilion. There would be daily chores, cleaning the cabins, clearing their tables after each meal and a few other things.

They could learn how to sail or to use a canoe, kayak or paddleboard on the lake at the camp. There was a roped off swim area with a diving platform; each camper's swimming skills would be tested before they could swim out to the platform. There would be a campfire every night with entertainment. Brynie jumped up and down when they saw there were riding trails that campers could ride with an experienced adult. They would have hikes and a possible backpack trip, staying in the woods for one night.

By the time they finished reading, Tim and Ellie jokingly said Ty and Brynie could stay home while they went to camp. Laughing, the kids generously said they could come along with them.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

One afternoon, little Eleni brought her papa and Grandpa Mac to have dinner with her Uncle Tim, Aunt Ellie and all her cousins. She'd been to the house a few times and was comfortable with the family, happy to be around kids her size!

She and Papa were living in a guesthouse near the other older adults. Charlie thought that if the others moved back to the ranch house, they might move there too. The other little kids were there off and on nearly everyday and he planned to have Eleni join them at daycare once in a while. Not everyday but enough so that she'd be comfortable with more children and a somewhat structured environment outside of home as she grew up. In the meantime, he'd talked with Tim and Ellie, Jimmy and Breena, both couples with children Eleni's age, about being his little girl's guardians should anything happen to him. The two couples agreed and after his will was updated, he felt a huge burden had been lifted.

When he tried to remember what it was he did with his time before Eleni entered their lives, he came up blank. Eventually he remembered visiting friends, eating out with Carol, all the traveling they'd done together, the two of them playing tennis, the seniors' softball league he'd belonged to, playing golf, fishing with some of his buddies and other activities. He was happy here, relaxing for the first time in longer than he cared to admit and enjoying the company of everyone, especially his fellow seniors and one special person in particular.

He'd never thought he'd be attracted to anyone else after losing Carol, but then he met this woman, Luella or Lu for short. She was interesting, kind, pretty, creative and fun as well as funny, although she could also be serious, with a large dose of empathy. She always found humor in the unlikeliest of situations. When he said that to her, she chuckled, "I'm a social worker who worked in and managed a homeless shelter for 35 years. If I hadn't found humor, I never would have made it through the first day!"

Now, as the junior Gibbses, Mac and Charlie enjoyed an adult beverage before dinner, Mac and Charlie chatted about the Fieldings as they'd been decades ago. As this was a side of his family Tim knew little about, he was fascinated, learning about his great uncles Fergus, Art and Gordie and their childhood. The four of them had enjoyed strong sibling relationships, one which, Mac said with a sigh, he'd never considered wouldn't last throughout their lifetimes.

"My parents were close to their siblings while we were growing up, both Mom and Dad, even after our grandparents passed. I guess it all started when I married Joann. Fergus was already married and Joann had hinted to me that she didn't care for my sister-in-law. I didn't pay much attention, I thought they just didn't know each other well enough yet. And I was a young, stupid guy in love, I thought everything would continue to be as wonderful as it had been and that our generation would remain as close as my parents, aunts and uncles had been.

"By the time we had Shannon, I'd realized I was wrong, felt like the greater family was falling apart. Joann still didn't like my sister-in-law, who was a wonderful woman, and Art and Gordie's wives were uncomfortable, so my brothers told me, with my wife. To tell you the truth, I was beginning to feel uncomfortable with her, too, but there was no way I'd leave my daughter. As Shannon grew up, her mother and I sort of reached our own détente, we had people we saw together, socialized with, and then our own, separate friends. And if there was a Fielding family reunion, she'd make an excuse and I'd go by myself. It hurt that Shannon didn't know her uncles, aunts and cousins, but it was the only way I could keep up with them and have some peace in my marriage. Or at least quiet, it certainly wasn't peaceful."

Tim twisted his lips, "So that's why I've never heard you talk about these people before?"

"Yes. Some of it was your grandmother's doing, she didn't like any of my family. Mostly my fault though. When she and I split, I realized what an idiot I'd been staying away from my brothers. Fergus was already gone by that time but I'd stayed in touch with him. Art and Gordie were still alive and we reconnected, saw each other many times before I lost them both." He sighed, "I've told you all four of us were named for our maternal grandfather and uncles. Seanathair, our grandfather, was called Fergus McKenzie. I was named McKenzie, the next baby was named Fergus and then the two youngest were named for Mam's brothers, Arthur and Gordon."

"Your father didn't mind?"

"He used to say his love had given him four sons who'd carry the family name, she could name them whatever she wanted. It helped that our uncles were his best friends."

"Was it fun, growing up with three brothers?"

"Yes, for the most part. It was more fun for the others as I was the eldest, responsible for all of them. But it was wonderful having brothers like them. I'm glad you grew up with siblings, Timothy."

"Me too, Grandpa, and I know what you mean about being responsible."

"I know you do, son."

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

The conversation continued after Jossie, Mackie and Eleni were asleep and the other kids were in the playroom.

As they sat with their after-dinner beverages, Tim looked at his cousin. "Charlie, this is one long story I think you should know now. You remember the trip to San Diego and the young girl who needed a bone marrow transplant?"

Charlie smiled, "Yes, you signed some of my Gemcity books before you left, I was so excited!"

Tim returned the smile. "We haven't told you the rest of the story. I needed some time to absorb it and you and Eleni were just settling in. The girl, Tessa, who needed the bone marrow transplant is Ken Mays' daughter and her mother his former wife. Grandpa, Ken Mays is the guy who was with Delilah when I walked in on them that day. Anyway, Tessa guessed from the Gemcity anagram that my real name is Timothy McGee and Avery, her mother, knew that was the name of the guy involved with Delilah during that mess. Over the few days we were there we became acquainted with the family – everyone except Ken."

Charlie shook his head, "Small world, Timothy. Were you blindsided by the information?"

"A little bit but by the time Avery told me, I knew that there was something making her uncomfortable. I think she was about to ask or tell me at the book signing but then Tessa asked another question. It wasn't until we were at the hospital with her on Sunday that she told me. She said she didn't think it was fair to withhold the information from me. She seemed relieved when I said I'd put it behind me years ago."

Charlie shook his head again, "Did you see him while you were there?"

"No. But he is the father of three of my donor offspring and if Tessa or her brothers need medical help, I'll be contacted, so I may end up seeing him at some point."

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

On his way home from a series of moves, Pete had time to think about his life. While his wife was still hospitalized and might always be, the rest of his life was going pretty well. With his business now mostly in the west, he was able to see his grown children more often and also kept in touch with Elaine and Jacob Rourke in Oregon. He was happy when they told him they wanted to move back to the ranch and offered to move their belongings, including the car and RV if they didn't want to drive to Albuquerque. He was amused when the three of them exchanged news from the ranch. Depending upon how long Pete had been on the road, Elaine and Jacob frequently had the latest news.

Regarding his shelter mates as family, he gave them a healthy discount when they needed something moved. Although they'd argued with him at first, he'd apparently finally won their acceptance. It took him over a year to realize that the puzzling anonymous donations for his wife's care always showed up after he'd moved something for a friend or family. He also realized no one had argued about the discount for months, probably since the anonymous donations started.

With his travels around the country, whenever he was in within a hundred mile vicinity of his son or daughter, he'd send a text to whichever kid he'd be driving closest to, asking if she or he had room for an overnight guest or time for a meal, even a cup of coffee. His kids, as busy as they were, always made time and he was thoroughly enjoying getting to know his children as adults. At one point he theorized that he might be spending more time with them now than he'd been able to when they were growing up.

He also enjoyed his downtime at the ranch and planned to start cutting back on the number of moves he'd handle over the next couple of years. His partners were twenty years younger and had families to support. While the partnership was thriving and no one was complaining, he knew they would appreciate the extra work. He'd retire to the ranch, move into a guesthouse. Sharing that information with his kids, he was happy when they were enthusiastic and promised to visit.

He'd sold his house to the Slaters and invested the money for his retirement and Toni's care. Her condition hadn't changed much, nor was it likely to. When he was home, he'd visit her. She was always glad to see him although sometimes confused as to where they were and why he didn't live there. Because she wasn't allowed to leave the grounds of the institution she lived in, he got into the habit of bringing a picnic lunch during good weather. That always made her happy.

He was the only resident still staying in the shelter although he knew Bill still had some belongings stored there. He missed the other man, they'd had some good conversations and he'd liked not being alone in the place. There was usually someone around, working in the garden, having a meeting or just needing some quiet time to themselves. He'd noticed the little community that had sprung up among the guesthouse residents and looked forward to being part of it.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

While Charlie enjoyed late spring with his reclaimed uncle and new family, the Rourkes began preparing for their move back to the ranch and Pete roamed the country moving people's belongings, the school-aged children of the clan were excited about the end of the school year. And more importantly all of their fun summer plans, at least the ones they knew about.

Ty and Brynie would have a week at home before they left for their overnight camp. The Palmers and Hubbards had been consulted about the possibility of Victoria and Hannah also going, but the girls declined. Their parents thought they'd be ready next year, especially after months of hearing about Ty and Brynie's adventures!

The week between the last day of school and the start of summer camp dragged for the two oldest Gibbs kids. Their clothes and items needed for camp were ready and they had to be warned not to pack too soon. They swam every day, rode their bikes, hiked with their dad, Poppy, Uncles Jim, Dave and Charlie, cousins Callum, Ainsley and Matt, skated around the cul-de-sac and engaged in games of tag in which the playing ground was the entire neighborhood. Still, the days dragged on.

For Tim and Ellie, the week sped by far too quickly. Now that the day of their children's leaving approached, both were having second and third thoughts. The camp wasn't far away; it was in the mountains on the way to Ruidoso, the two of them had driven up to look at it one weekend and liked it, wishing they could go, too! Nor were those running the camp without experience, they'd been hosting young campers for over 50 years with the current administrators in place for 20 of those years. No child had died, been kidnapped, molested or seriously injured during those 20 years or for that matter, in the past 50 years. This would not be the first time their babies were away from them overnight. They'd spent many nights with Poppy and Nonnie, the Palmers, even fun weekends they still talked about with Uncle Rob, Aunt Ali, Aunt Kelly and Uncle Matt.

However, they'd never stayed overnight in the care of strangers. Except for day camp, where two of their day-care people were usually with them, they'd never been cared for by strangers. Not family, not friends. Strangers.

There'd been a "Meet your Camp Counselors" night at the church hall for parents and the Gibbses were among the first ones to arrive, making sure the camp people knew they were in law enforcement with more law enforcement and military in the family. It was all the couple could do to refrain from flashing their badges.

Tim later hoped the camp folks didn't hold his and Ellie's behavior, or the way they were interrogated, against Ty and Brynie. Indeed, Boss would have been proud of their professional behavior, perfect for questioning suspects and Persons of Interest.

So, they met the strangers who seemed nice enough, which made the two federal agents even 'itchier'. They immediately went home and ran background checks on everyone for whom they had names. They didn't care if some of what they did was in a legally gray area.

To their initial relief, everyone came out clean, although after expressing relief, Tim was immediately suspicious. No one was that clean, most people at least had had a parking ticket! When Ellie stuck a piece of paper in front of his face with two additional squeaky-clean records on it but no names, she smiled, "These are our records. We're just as squeaky-clean as the camp people."

Tim relaxed and then tensed again. "I'm not. Tony and I broke into the impound yard at DC Metro and were caught. We spent a night in jail. Tony's record was expunged but last time I looked mine wasn't. And I've broken more laws…"

Ellie put a finger on his lips. "Hush! Any law-breaking was because Gibbs or Vance ordered you to and you said you've always had a 'get out of jail free' card."

He waggled his hand, that was mostly true. There were a few times Boss and Vance didn't know about or at least pretended they didn't know about. Then he relaxed again, rolling his neck. "Anyway, two of them are in law enforcement. I guess I'm glad they'll be there."

"Me too. I wonder if this will be easier next year?"

Tim groaned, "Please, can we just get through this year before thinking about that? Next year makes me think how old Ty will be and then he'll be in middle school and two days later he'll be graduating from high school and then he's gone, with Brynie on his heels. It's too soon; all of it is too soon!"

He muttered to himself that he should have homeschooled them as he'd first thought when Tyler started preschool. Then he could have dragged out their education and they wouldn't leave home until they were 30.

His comments made Ellie laugh. Her laughter was so infectious that he too started laughing. They laughed at themselves, their worries and wanting to keep their kids to themselves. When they wound down, Tim shook his head, "How many people have we heard complaining that their kids are still living at home in their 20s and 30s? Or they come back to live and don't leave? Although the Recession in 2007, sheltering together during the Nuclear Threat and the Pandemic don't count!"

Ellie nodded, "There's a family in the Tahlequah ranching community that my parents know. They have two sons, older than my brothers. They've never left home and don't work on the ranch or anywhere else, they just exist and the parents feel they have to support them."

"Oh yeah, our kids are going to camp, going to learn about independence!"

The two of them high-fived and then laughed at themselves once again.

They helped the kids get ready the next day. Once everything was packed, their wheeled duffels were zipped closed and placed by the door to the garage.. After the children were all in bed that night, ostensibly asleep, Ellie and Tim got busy. They took the bags into the garage so nosy children wouldn't hear what they were doing.

Remembering the homesickness Ellie suffered at some point every year at camp, the couple included some photos as well as notes of love and encouragement for their son and daughter. Each duffel bag also included a calendar page with the date circled that they'd be picked up by their parents. Treats were scattered throughout and a little stuffed animal was somehow squished in. Postcards with stamps and their address were included so the kids could write home. They'd already written a letter to each and mailed them the day before so that their kids would have mail on their first or second day of camp. They had two more letters ready to go. Tim smiled as he remembered the conversation he and Ellie had with Ellie's mom Barbara. She'd revealed all her secrets, the notes, the treats, the letters and they were following her lead. They told each other they knew they were going overboard and promised each other they wouldn't do as much 'next year'.

Finally, they closed the bags again and put them back in the house, by the door to the garage. Neither of them slept that night and Tim wondered if it would always be like this, would they ever get used to their children leaving them?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY HANUKKAH!
> 
> Also, I'm very happy to tell you this chapter has been beta-d by the incomparable Alix33! Doing my own happy dance!

Chapter 7

Up early and having already consumed three cups of coffee each, they woke Ty and Brynie. The younger kids had said goodbye to them the night before which should make leaving the house a little easier.

After showering, dressing, eating a hearty breakfast and brushing their teeth, they were ready. When Nonny and Poppy arrived to stay with the littles and the babies, Tim picked up his children's duffels and followed Ellie into the garage. She'd drive them to the church parking lot where the bus to the camp would be waiting.

Tim put the bags in the cargo space of the van and then turned to go to his seat. His dad was there and he pulled him into a hug, whispering to him that he felt the same way but that the kids would have fun, learn a lot and come home safely. Tim allowed himself three seconds of comfort, burying his face in his father's shoulder. Then he emerged, "Thanks for the son time. I need to go be a dad now, a positive dad."

Dad patted his face and Tim smiled. If his kids were anything like him, they might always need him as much as he needed his dad.

The kids climbed in and away they went. They pulled into the church parking lot with several other cars full of kids and parents. Tim retrieved the duffel bags and handed them off to his son and daughter. They grinned at him and their excitement enabled him to grin back. He and Ellie kissed each one, told them they loved them, to have lots of fun and make new friends.

As they walked to the bus, Ty called out to Stewart, the boy they'd run into at church after being released from shelter, the one who'd known Ty as "Thomas" from their time in WITSEC. The two were good friends and Ellie and Tim greeted Stewart's parents, also known from Tim's first sojourn to Albuquerque.

Stewart's dad looked nervous, "Is this your first time?"

Tim nodded, "Yes. Yours?"

"Oh yeah. We didn't realize until the other day that Stewart's never stayed with anyone but family or friends."

Ellie nodded, "Yes, we had that wake-up call too. But we want them to learn some independence, make friends and memories. Did either of you go to camp?"

They shook their heads and she smiled gently, "Then you are truly brave. I went to camp every summer from age 8 to 15 and had a blast. The kids are safe; these folks know what they're doing."

Stewart's mother smiled, "I forgot that you're both in law enforcement. You trust your kids to these people so it must be all right."

Tim just smiled, afraid if he opened his mouth again he'd spill all their doubts and misgivings.

Catching up to their kids, the dads watched as the luggage was stored in the cargo areas under the bus and then kissed their kids again. One of the women they'd met at the meeting stood at the door to the bus. Checking her watch, she called out, "Campers and parents, your attention please!"

When everyone quieted, she smiled. "Campers, you'll need your photo ID and information papers so I can check you off the list as you board the bus. Parents, if anyone's forgotten the photo ID, you'll have to bring your child to camp yourself – with the photo ID! If you don't have your information page, you can email that to us." She read off the email address.

Each child was required to have a picture ID along with a paper with her or his full name, address, parents' names, contact information and emergency contacts. The Gibbs kids' photos were on lanyards around their necks and each was holding the information paper tightly.

Some of the older campers got on first, greeting the woman and handing their papers over. Ty, Brynie and Stewart quickly got in line and waved to their parents as they were checked off, welcomed and climbed on the bus. The three of them had already been talking with other kids in line and their parents smiled proudly.

Once everyone was aboard, the luggage stowed, the information papers gathered, the camp woman smiled to the parents, saying quietly, "We'll take good care of them, I promise. Try not to worry too much if you get a phone call from a sobbing child saying he or she wants to come home. It happens to all of them at some point. Even happened to me when I was a camper! We'll see you in a week with lots of adventures to share!" She entered the bus, the bus driver pulled the door closed and with a honk, it started to roll out of the parking lot.

Spotting their son and daughter waving, Tim and Ellie waved back, both glad they had their sunglasses on and resisting the urge to run along beside the bus. Turning away, they exchanged brave parent smiles with Stewart's parents and climbed in the van.

As Tim drove home, he found a spot and pulled over. Ellie looked at him, "What?"

"We need to clean our faces before we walk in the house or the babies will be upset."

"Good idea. I think I have some…"

"Baby wipes?" Tim pulled a plastic bag with several of them from his pocket and handed three to his wife. They sat there, once again laughing at themselves as they wiped their eyes and faces. Then they went home.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Poppy and Nonny spent that first day with the family, watching Lia and Henry practice their swimming skills, playing with them, Mackie and some of their younger cousins in the toddler pool. Baby Jossie hung out with her parents, leaving the arms of one or the other only to transfer between them, be fed, have her diaper changed or for a nap. Although it didn't seem to bother the kids, the adults noticed a kind of pall hung in the air. Tony even said something about it, he too missed the campers.

Somehow, Tim, Ellie and the senior Gibbses got through Day One with no Tyler and Brynie. Day Two was still a little strange with two empty places at the breakfast table. When the family went to church, it was even stranger as all the littles went to the nursery during the service. Stewart's parents, the Carrolls, sat with the Gibbses, each couple drawing comfort from the other.

After church, they took the littles to a new petting zoo and that cheered them considerably. They snapped numerous photos of Lia, Henry and Mackie with the baby animals. Finally they went home, changed and spent the day in the pool or the little playground they'd put in for the kids.

Tim shook his head as the two of them went through their Sunday night routine. "This sounds crazy and you know I love our babies but I've never been so glad for a Sunday night!"

Ellie nodded, "I agree, I'm really looking forward to being my professional self tomorrow and not the sad mommy missing our chicks."

By Wednesday, they'd had postcards from their babies and knew they were having fun swimming, canoeing, sailing and hiking. Both laughed at the twinge of envy they felt.

Thursday evening, they'd just come in from an after-dinner swim when Ellie's phone chimed with a call. It was Avery Camden and the couple frowned at each other. Tim took Lia, Henry, Mackie and Joselyn for their nightly routines while Elle spoke with Tessa's mother.

"Avery, is everything all right?"

"Yes, no – yes. Tessa's still recovering, doing all right. She had a fever for a few days, which put our 100-day mark back 2 weeks. But with the boys out of school, it's been chaotic. Ken's hours always seem to be longer in the summer and my mom isn't feeling well so she can't help until she's better or the doctors figure out what's wrong with her. The boys are living with Ken but he's gone from 7 AM to sometimes midnight or later. So my dad has been staying over there, taking care of the boys." She paused to take a breath and Ellie filled in the blank.

"Which means you're 24/7 with Tessa, no respite and no one is with your mother?"

"My mom's aunt is staying with her so she has help. But yes for me. And it is summer so everyone who offered to help is either on vacation or getting ready to go…"

Ellie frowned, "So the challenge is to find you some help."

"It would be okay if the boys had somewhere to go but the day-cares are full or say they're too old. And that only solves the daytime anyway. Because my mom doesn't know what's wrong with her, the boys can't go stay with her and my dad is wearing himself out between taking care of the boys and helping Mom. I have to make him wear a mask and gloves when he's here to see Tessa."

"Do you belong to a church?"

"I did, until the divorce."

"How about your parents' church, any old friends that could come in even for a couple of hours a week? Work friends, anyone who could come in and give you a break?"

That was apparently a trigger as Avery started ranting about former work friends who'd promised to help and then reneged. When Tim returned from putting the littles to bed, Ellie's eyes widened, that meant she'd been on the phone for an hour! He'd bathed all four of them, read stories, had cuddle time and put them to bed while she'd been on the phone. And she especially needed cuddle time with her babies this week!

Finally, she broke in, "Avery, sorry to do this to you but I have to go. I've got a couple of ideas, though, give me some time to talk with Tim and we'll get back to you."

She heard a half-strangled "Sorry, bye!" as she disconnected. Turning, she looked at Tim. "I don't know if she's flat-out desperate or playing us."

Tim nodded, "I'd say both. She started playing us the minute she saw me. Tessa needed our help so that was fine. And frankly, if one of our kids was in the same boat as Tessa, I'd do anything to get help for her."

Ellie nodded her agreement with that before telling Tim about Avery's problems. When her phone buzzed with a text, they both rolled their eyes. It was a text from Avery saying that Ken's boss had just told him he was being sent to Dubai for several weeks.

Ellie nodded, "You know there's some serious stuff brewing, I hear it nearly every day. If he's as good at gathering and interpreting intelligence as you think he is, I can see why he'd be needed."

Tim agreed, "Yeah, from what I understood back then, those two were a force of nature over there."

Ellie shook her head, "Avery doesn't have a clue why Ken's job sometimes becomes more demanding. Think she watches the news or doesn't have a clue what he does?"

Tim didn't want to get into that, it wasn't their business and he really didn't care. "Don't know. What's your idea?"

"Uh, I really just said that to get off the phone."

He chuckled "Don't blame you. So…what was her original problem?"

"Ken is working late hours so he couldn't take care of the boys. Her mom is sick with some mystery illness, so she's out of the picture. Her dad is staying at Ken's with the boys but Avery is still having him wear a mask and gloves when he's around Tessa. And she has no one to give her a break. Ken apparently doesn't have any family besides the kids. There is no one to stay with Tessa while Avery goes grocery shopping or to her own doctor appointments. Her dad brings groceries over once a week but he's got the boys and his wife to take care of."

Tim frowned, "She doesn't know anyone?"

"Apparently not, although she was ranting about people who promised to help who are now on vacations or suddenly too busy."

"Wow. And the boys can't go to day-care? That would at least free her dad up during the day."

"No, she says they're full or the boys are too old at age 10."

"That's odd. And now she has an even bigger problem. Until her mother recovers or they figure out she's not contagious, her dad will have to be full-time with the boys. That's…wow, that's harsh, Ellie."

"I know, we are so lucky to have all our family. If they lived closer, we could rotate going to help. I mean the family, not just you and me."

Tim nodded, "Mom, Dad, Liz, Dave, Penny, Lu, Ducky and Gram…"

"And my mom, yes." She looked at Tim, "What would you think of taking the boys for the summer? That at least would remove that worry and then her dad could help her out. The stress can't be all that good for him either."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Tim opened his mouth and then closed it before saying, "Have to think about that. Two more kids. Kids who don't know us, who aren't ours."

"Yes but we have a young family, they'd have a good time. We'll take them to Ruidoso with us; they could go to Lara's, to day camp with Ty and Brynie. Then when we go to San Diego, they'll go home. Think of them as foster children. I know you wouldn't turn down CPS if they called and asked to place them with us for a couple of months."

Tim nodded with a sigh, "You're right about that. They could Skype with Avery, Tessa and their grandparents, maybe even with their dad. We could put them in one of the guestrooms, change it up so it looks more like a kids' room."

"Yes. So, what questions or concerns would we have?"

"Medical, need their records sent to Kelly or Rob. Allergies, anything like that. When does their school start? And when will Ken be back? What are their personalities, likes and dislikes; how are they disciplined? It would be great if some of their stuff could come with them, their bikes, skates, sports equipment, toys, books, electronics."

Ellie's eyes bulged and he nodded, "Ok, maybe we limit electronics to 2 hours a day and only in their room."

"How?"

"We keep them somewhere, locked up. They have to ask for them and then they can have them for a max of 2 hours."

"You're mean! How come you're on them all the time?"

Tim tucked his lips in, trying not to laugh at her attempt at playing the part of a 10-year-old boy. "I'm an adult and if they think that's mean, tough. Our kids do well without having their noses buried in phones or tablets and I don't want to change that. You know we want them to have actual memories of their childhoods. They'll be locked in soon enough."

"TV in their room?"

"No. They can watch with the rest of us or watch on their tablets. Huh, we need to know what shows they're allowed to watch and for how long per day."

"Honey, these are city kids."

"Ellie, I'm willing to have them come stay with us, I'm willing to take care of them. I am not willing to change our lifestyle to accommodate them unless they have special needs. That's different."

"Ok, I see your point. What if they hate the ranch?"

"There are plenty of activities in Albuquerque, with any luck we'll find things they like to do. Bowling, movies, baseball games, the water park."

"Ooh, we all like those!"

"Maybe Jim and Claire will have some ideas. And Cal, Ainsley and Matt Crane."

"More good ideas!"

Tim pulled her in for a kiss. "Let's wait a day or so, let this sink in, see how it feels before we call them. Did Avery say when Ken has to leave?"

She sighed, leaning into him, "No and we need to talk with our parents and the family before we do this. They live here, too."

"Good idea. Family dinner is this Sunday, right?"

"Yes, it was pushed back so Ty and Brynie would be home."

"Hmm, we'd better talk with them first."

"Okay. And we'll need to have some sort of legal custody arrangement between us and the Mays. Geez, we'd better start making a list of questions and concerns. The ones for the Mays and the ones to ask Jim, Claire and the older kids."

Tim opened his mouth to say something, yawned and looked at his watch. "But not tonight. I'm tired and I've had my quote of caffeine today. We go with this, we'll let our attorney and theirs hash out the legal stuff."

She smiled, "Good. I'm done, too."

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

The next morning, the idea still seemed like a good one. Before they left the pool after dinner, they asked the Hubbards if they had some time to talk. Ellie took Mackie and Joselyn inside to put them to bed while Ainsley, Hannah and Cal played with Lia and Henry.

Tim quickly explained the problem, their idea and their hope that Jim, Claire and their kids would have some ideas. Cal and Ainsley grinned when they heard that, they loved being consulted. Both liked the ideas the Gibbses already had and suggested a few more. Cal volunteered to spend time with the boys and Ty, saying he was sure Matt would do the same.

Claire told them that one of Cal's friends had stayed with them for a month while his father was deployed and his mother was ill. That gave her some ideas and questions to add to Tim's list.

Feeling much better about the whole thing, he finally gathered his wiggly toddlers, carrying them inside for their nighttime routine.

Once the children were asleep, they sat down together to compile their questions and concerns. After they got as far as possible, they thought there would probably be more to add after the family dinner on Sunday.

Ty and Brynie were coming home Saturday afternoon; the bus would arrive at the church by 4:00 PM. The couple did the regular laundry that day, knowing that everything in the duffel bags would need laundering once the kids were home. They'd had another postcard, this one signed by both kids with a cramped list of all the things each had been doing.

As Poppy and Nonny were taking care of Sarah's twins that afternoon, Mackie and Joselyn went to the bus with their parents while Henry and Lia visited Uncle Dave, Aunty Liz and cousin Matt.

They were early for the bus, that was a given, but they felt better when they saw several other parents trying to look nonchalant. When they spotted the bus, it was almost laughable as the first-time parents worked hard to appear casual getting out of their cars. Watching a couple who Tim and Ellie knew had older campers, they timed their exit to theirs, forgetting they had two babies to get out of car seats and into a stroller. Still, the bus went around the parking lot so that it was facing out and that gave them the extra minute they needed.

What really mattered was that their two seasoned campers nearly jumped off the bus into their arms. "Mommy, Daddy, we had so much fun! Hi, Mackie, hi, Jossie!" They kissed their parents, little brother and sister. "We missed you all!"

Tim felt his whole body relax, his chicks were home safe. Ellie told him later how proud she was of him, knowing that with his background allowing his babies to leave him had been a monumental stretch. He smiled at her, "You told me about those guys at the ranch by your parents. That did it!"

They heard about all the fun stuff, from the cabins they slept in to the horses they rode, the paddleboarding and canoeing they learned, the trails they hiked, the campfires they'd had. Tim and Ellie smiled at each other when Brynie said, "It's really pretty at the camp. It's a little like our lake but it's not Ruidoso. I'm glad we're going there, too!"

Ty nodded, "Me too! I liked the guys in the cabin with me and Stewart but I really like it when we're all in our own cabin."

They laughed as the kids told of someone's attempt to grill chicken on an open fire. Brynie shook her head, "Some of it was burned and some of it was all pink and icky; they threw it out and we had hot dogs that night. I wanted to tell them to call you or Poppy to tell them how to cook the chicken but Ty said they might not like that."

Their parents listened fondly while Ty and Brynie took turns telling them of their wonderful week. It was Sunday morning before either child had settled enough to hear about the plans for the Mays twins.

Both kids were excited and a little nervous about the idea and asked several questions that their parents answered. Ty relaxed a little when told about the Hubbards' experience. One of his questions, though, was a good one. "What if their dad doesn't come home in time for them to go to school? Will they stay here and go to school?"

"That's a great question, Tyler. Tessa's 100 days will be finished soon after our school starts here so the boys should be able to return to living with their mother and go to their own school. We'll bring it up with their parents."

Ty nodded, trusting his parents and deciding not to worry about it. They wouldn't be in the same class with him even if they did stay.

Brynie wanted to know about the cabin in Ruidoso. "Where will they sleep? Ty will share with Mackie and Henry and I'll share with Lia. Or can we all sleep in the same room? And what about Joselyn? She's too little to share with us. Will those boys sleep in the extra bedroom?"

"Joselyn will sleep in our room, sweetie. You're right; she's too little to share a room yet. Ty, do you mind sharing with your brothers?"

He shook his head, "No, it'll be extra fun because it'll be Henry's first time and Mackie's bigger!"

"That's right. Is there a problem if Sean and Mark take the extra room?"

Brynie looked at her brother and Tim suddenly remembered, "Oh, that's always been your playroom, right?"

They nodded and their parents smiled, "We'll figure something out."

Tim took a chance, "Other than the playroom, how do you two feel about the twins staying with us?"

Ty looked at him sadly, "I feel sorry for them with their father away and Tessa so sick. They can't even see their sister, their mother or their grandmother! I think it would be good if they stay with us, I hope it'll make them happy."

Brynie nodded, "We don't mind sharing. It's all right with me, too."

"Thank you both. You're very kind and generous. If their parents agree they can come and stay, would you like to help us fix up their room so it looks like a kids' room?"

"Yay!" They did the happy dance that still made their parents' hearts sing.

"Okay. Here's our plan…" Ty and Brynie listened intently as their parents told them about talking with the family at dinner that afternoon. They both thought that was a good idea. When Ty asked if they could meet the boys on Skype before they came to the ranch, Ellie added that to their list of questions for Avery and Ken.

When they brought up the topic at the family dinner that afternoon, explaining everything, the family agreed with them and promised to help with the boys.

Tim woke, sitting straight up in bed at 0200 Monday morning, "Oh my God, we have to tell the kids!"

Ellie opened one eye, "Wha..?"

"The kids!"

She sat up, "What's wrong with them?"

"Nothing but they don't know about Tessa, Sean or Mark, or Henry, being my donor kids."

"Boys aren't here yet, we'll tell our kids before the Skype call."

"Ok."

"Sleep now, sweetie."

"Ok."

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

After having warned the kids, each other and the rest of the family that their offer might not be accepted by Avery and Ken, Tim admitted he was a little nervous as they sat down after their children were in bed Tuesday evening. They'd asked for a Skype call with both parents and were encouraged to find them on one screen, in the same room together.

Tessa was also on screen and waved to them. "Hi, Thom, hi, Ellie."

They laughed and Tim said, "You had the first name right, Tessa. There was no way you could know I'd changed my last name after I created the anagram."

She grinned, "Are you saying I was right?"

"Yes, I am. Want a new inscription?"

She thought about it before saying, "How about you put a note under the other one?"

"Consider it done!"

Avery smiled, "All right, Tessa, how about you go finish that essay?"

"Ok, Mom. Bye!" She waved and they waved back, smiling. Ellie looked at her parents, "She looks so much better!"

"She has her ups and downs but right now she's doing well. She's finishing up with the school work she missed in the spring."

Tim nodded to Ken, "Ken, before Ellie and I present our idea to you, I just want to, I don't know, put things right between us. What happened was Delilah's choice."

"I could argue with you about that but thank you for your generosity."

Ellie shook her head, "I know it was difficult but in the end, Tim's right, it was her choice. This probably sounds mean but I've always been happy about their breakup. Gave me a chance to get to know Tim better and look where we are now!"

Avery looked a little smug. Ken turned, smiling at her. "We're getting married again, before I leave."

The Gibbses grinned at them, "That's wonderful, congratulations!"

Avery smiled, "Thank you. Tessa's illness has showed us that we're still us, that we love each other and our family. We've been working on our relationship and now it's time to make our re-commitment public."

"Great!" Tim smiled at Ellie and then turned back to the screen, "Avery, other than moving closer to you we were stumped as to how we could provide help while Ken's away. But then my brilliant wife had an idea."

Ellie blushed before saying, "We'd like you to consider allowing the boys to stay with us while Ken's gone. We have plenty of room, our kids are fine with the idea and we already have a lot of fun plans for the summer, there would be no problem including Sean and Mark." She leaned forward, whispering. "Can you still hear me?"

Puzzled, they nodded and Ellie continued, telling them about the beach rental in San Diego before the start of the Albuquerque school term. She added that they figured they could leave a day or so early to get the boys home in time for the start of their school year.

Ken looked at Avery who was giving it some deep thought. Because he would be away, he felt this was ultimately her decision. Finally, she nodded. "It'll be difficult but it'll be less stressful for the boys and my dad. And Ken and me, knowing they're in good hands. How, when…?"

The Gibbses smiled, outlining their plans before tackling the questions and issues. Once they had all those settled they went back to the how and when.

"Ken, when are you leaving?"

"In three weeks."

"Good, then we have a little wiggle room. What we're hoping is that the boys will bring their bikes, skates, toys, books and any other play or sports equipment with them. They'll feel more at home and while we have a lot of all that, it's generally in use. We live in a cul-de-sac made up of 7 homes on two acres each. In the center, here, it's easier to show you."

Ellie pulled up recent photos showing kids and adults in the pool, other kids riding their bikes and roller-skating around the cul-de-sac.

"One of our tenants, they all live on the next property over and there are kids there too, has sheep and goats who are working on clearing a softball field for us."

"Sheep and goats?" Beside Ken, Avery was trying not to laugh.

Tim laughed, "We are in a rural area, although there's a grocery store, medical clinic and gas station across the road. Yes, we rent the animals to clear the property of weeds, much cheaper and environmentally better than having someone come in with a tractor. There are also llamas to guard them."

"Wow! I do like the medical clinic being close."

Tim nodded, explaining that.

Ken returned to the practical, thinking aloud, "Ok, so the kids' stuff and their clothes. I have a friend who has a travel trailer. Maybe we can borrow it to put all their stuff in and tow it to you. My SUV has a tow bar."

"Good! It's an 11-hour drive from you to us, is that going to be a problem?"

"No, we've done long car trips before. We used to wait until the kids were asleep and then carry them out to the car; by the time they woke, we'd be at least partway to wherever we were going. We drove from here to Yosemite and Yellowstone that way."

Tim's eyes lit up and Ellie mentally added Yellowstone and Yosemite to their list of vacation ideas. He was already campaigning to drive to San Diego by way of the Grand Canyon and she thought that would be fun if they went in an RV and had places to run around when they stopped. Just not until they were done with diapers.

Ken continued, "Besides, I'm curious about your ranch, can't wait to see it all."

"Great, then plan on staying over at least one night."

"Huh, that will be tight but yeah, we'll figure it out. Too bad Tessa and Avery can't come."

Ellie smiled, "We'll still be here when Tessa's healthy again."

After going over a few more details, including the exchange of contact information for their respective family attorneys, they agreed Ken would bring the boys that weekend. He'd take Friday off so he wouldn't have to worry about working late. They'd leave San Diego between 1 and 2 AM Saturday morning so the kids could sleep and they'd avoid the heat and traffic. He added that he'd ask his friend with the trailer to come with them.

Tim had one more question, "Did the boys know Colonel Fielding?"

"They met him a couple of times, yes. Why?"

"I forgot to mention that he's living here on the ranch now. Turns out he's my grandfather's nephew, I think he's first cousin once removed to me."

"Uh, Tim?"

"Yeah, Delilah and I are second cousins. Didn't know, would have been a huge shock. But my grandfather's sure we would have discovered everything before we married."

"Kind of a moot point anyway."

After discussing all the issues, the Gibbses said good night to the Mays and then sat, looking at each other. Tim shook his head, "8 kids, unbelievable!" He held up a hand, "I know, it's not permanent and we have plenty of room and many plans to keep them all occupied. But that number is a bit staggering!"

Ellie chuckled, "It can be, if we think of the kids as numbers. And you know we don't do that. When do we want to tell them?"

"Mm, tomorrow, get it out there and they'll have a couple of days to absorb the news and ask questions. I've been thinking about what to tell them, I'm going to leave it as general as possible."

Ellie nodded, "Good idea. Especially since you and Ty have already talked about how a baby grows. Now we need to give that a bit of background."

The conversation with Ty took place the previous year after they told the kids a new baby, who turned out to be Joselyn, was on the way. Ty wanted to know how the baby would grow inside his mother and Tim explained it, drawing a picture of a baby in a womb with an umbilical cord. Aunty Kelly had reinforced that knowledge recently when she explained Joselyn's cord blood donation to Tessa.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Christmas!

Chapter 9

The next evening after Joselyn and Mackie were in bed, Tim and Ellie gathered Ty, Brynie, Lia and Henry. Ellie smiled at the kids, "Let's go into the playroom, your father and I have something we want to talk with you about."

"Ok, Mommy."

When they were all settled, Tim smiled at them, "We have two things to tell you. One is that the two boys named Sean and Mark, are coming to stay with us for the summer. Lia, Henry, the boys are a year older than Ty. We're going to turn one of the guestrooms into a room for them, they can share that."

2½-year-old Henry was deep in thought and Tim waited until he was ready. "How come they're coming here? They don't have a mama and a daddy?"

"They do have a mama and a daddy. You remember the sick girl that your mama and I met when we went to San Diego?"

Henry and Lia nodded and Henry added, "Jossie helped her!"

"That's right. Sean and Mark are her brothers. Tessa, that's the sick girl, must be very careful not to catch any colds or get sick. The doctors said she could be at home but only her mother, father and grandparents could be around her."

Lia frowned, "Why?"

"Because kids play with other kids and sometimes those other kids might have a cough or cold and not even know it."

"Oh." Lia and Henry looked at each other and nodded, satisfied with that answer.

"Because of that, Sean and Mark have been staying with their father in a different house. But he has to go away for work and the boys need a place to stay.

"Their grandma is sick, so they can't stay with their grandma and grandpa. So they're coming here until school starts. Ty, we asked your question about school and the answer is they might still go home if their dad isn't back yet or they might stay here for a few more weeks. Your mom, Sean and Mark's parents and I decided to worry about that later."

Ty nodded with a smile.

Tim continued, "That's the first thing. The second thing is that Sean and Mark look like us."

Brynie was surprised, "Are they our cousins?"

"No, honey but they are related to us." Tim paused for a drink of water before continuing with his simple and very basic explanation. When he finished he answered a few questions from Ty and Brynie but Lia and Henry didn't say anything. The last thing he said was that he knew of 5 children that looked like him, adding, "besides Mackie and Joselyn".

When he saw Brynie frowning, he smiled, knowing his daughter was putting the pieces together. "Brynie, are you trying to figure out who those children are, the ones that look like me?"

She nodded and he kissed the top of her head, "You, Tyler, Henry, Sean and Mark."

"Oh!" She looked at Henry, "Henry looks like Poppy too."

"Yes, and he also looks like Poppy's daddy. Here, I'll show you a photo." He pulled up a childhood photo of Jackson on his phone and showed it to them. Henry giggled, "I look like him, Daddy!"

"Yes, you do, sweet boy!"

There was a little discussion about daddies and fathers but he was satisfied when they finished. He looked at the kids, figuring Lia and Henry were good with 'they looked like them', while Tyler and Brynie understood more, at least the concept. He hoped.

Ellie smiled at them. "The important thing to remember is that you are _our_ children, no matter what. We love you, we'll always love you. And we'll answer any more questions you have. Tonight, we wanted you to know that Sean and Mark look like some of us and why they do."

Ty had one more question, "Does Tessa look like us?"

"A little bit. She also looks like her mother and Poppy's mother, Grandma Anne."

"Wow!"

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

The kids stayed at the ranch with their grandparents on Thursday so that after work their parents could shop for room decorations for Mark and Sean. Ty, Brynie and Callum had some suggestions that Ellie and Tim liked very much. Having made a list, they eventually found everything they wanted and lugged it all home.

It helped that the Mays gave them plenty of ideas as to the boys' likes and dislikes. They loved baseball and basketball but hadn't yet developed a taste for football. Ken confessed his own ambivalence toward the sport had probably influenced that. Tim brightened up when he said that, replying, "I thought I was the only male in the U.S. who's not into football!"

The boys also liked soccer, loved to swim and during the last school term had had an archery class they really enjoyed.

Tim smiled at that, "We could set up a range and Ty and Brynie might like that too." He paused, adding, "Me, too!"

Ellie nodded, "Sounds like fun. I took a class in college and enjoyed it." Tim grinned at her, "I should have taken that instead of fencing."

Friday night, after they'd played with the kids and taken the littles through their nightly routine, the couple started work on the boys' room, with help from their two eldest. Ty and Brynie giggled at their parents' surprise when they turned the light on to find the queen bed gone, replaced by two twin beds with two wheeled pull out drawers underneath each one and two nightstands with goose neck lamps, perfect for night time reading, on them. The vertical dresser was also gone, replaced by a horizontal one with three large drawers on each side.

Ellie turned to the gigglers, "Poppy?"

The kids nodded, saying, "And we helped find everything in the storage barn, it was so much fun! There are two desks in there that Poppy said he could bring over for Sean and Mark but we didn't know the answer about school. We brought that table and two chairs instead. It's like the ones Brynie and I have, with little drawers for things."

"That's great, thank you! We bought a Spider Man lamp we can put on it too."

At the look on Ty's face, his parents grinned and Tim said, "Any chance you'd like one of those too?"

"Yes, please!"

Brynie laughed at her brother as he danced around the room. Then her laughter changed to 'oohs and ahhs' when she saw the 'Frozen' lamp for her room and she joined him in his happy dance. She grinned at her brother, "I didn't know we were getting things too!"

Ellie smiled, "Just the lamps, sweetie. Your daddy and I couldn't resist. Now, come see what else we bought the boys."

They showed them two white boards for the boys to write on and two cork boards for photos and other things. Each white board had a border of little soccer balls. Brynie helped Daddy put those on the wall, making sure they were straight and not too high up. The cork boards went on the walls next to their beds so each boy could look at his photos last thing at night and first thing in the morning. They left room on the wall facing the beds for a large framed Mays' family photo that Avery was sending with the van. They also had two throw rugs that would be placed on the laminate floors after the beds were made.

All four of them worked together to hang a shelving unit on the wall. There were three shelves and the supports for each shelf were dragons. Each was standing on its back legs, with its short front limbs reaching to the next shelf, the head tilted up with a vexed expression on its face and little tongues of fire coming from its mouth. Each dragon measured one foot apiece, including the flames. It was perfect! Tim found it on Amazon and had it shipped next day express. He'd found something else uniquely draconic for Tyler and tucked it away for his birthday.

Brynie took point on the installation, making sure the shelving unit was level and fit tight as a drum to the wall. Nothing was going to fall, be crooked or break on her watch!

Next came making the beds. While they'd been working, the new sheets, pillow covers and bedspreads went through the washer and dryer. By the time they finished with the boards and the shelves, the linens were ready to be put on the bed. The boys were bringing their own pillows.

Sheets in the colors of the San Diego Padres baseball team were put on the beds so that each boy had a mix of blue and yellow. One bed had a yellow bottom sheet and a blue top sheet and the other one reversed the order. The pillow cases had also come from Amazon and had all the Padres' colors on them, blue, white, golden yellow and brown. The bedspreads were a solid color blue. That did it for the formal bed coverings. They didn't add blankets as only the babies had blankets between May and October. The bedspreads would probably come off quickly too. Although with open windows at night and the ceiling fans on, the boys might not ditch the bedspreads.

Maisie took two pillow cases, sewed a big blue "S" to one and a big blue "M" to the other and then wrapped the cases over a couple of throw pillows from the storage barn, completing the look with tied-on twine borders. Claire found two summer weight cotton denim colored button-down shirts in the boys' sizes and put a little western stitchery on each. Just enough so the boys would wear them whether they ended up liking the western look or not. The shirts were hanging in the closet, all ready for them. The throw pillows were placed on top of the bedspreads on the beds.

With a grin, Ty and Brynie took their parents by the hand, leading them to the playroom. On their work table was a 5-foot banner, decorated by all the kids, with some help for Jossie and Mackie, welcoming Sean and Mark. They asked if they could put it up on the wall behind the kids' bed.

Footlockers for the boys' toys and sports equipment were placed at the foot of each bed, a couple of fluffy bean bags chairs were added, the throw rugs were placed on the floor, the banner was hung, photos were taken and they were done.

They'd already changed the sheets in the remaining guestroom and on the Murphy bed in the playroom where Ken's friend, the owner of the travel trailer, would sleep. Fresh towels in the bathrooms and they were ready for both of the guests and their summer residents.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Ken called a little after 9 AM Saturday morning; they were in Gallup, New Mexico. They'd stopped for a break, buying breakfast and eating it at a park, loving the warm weather. He said the fog had been thick and chilly when they left San Diego before midnight. Laughing, he said the boys were running in circles, burning off some of their energy, adding that they were excited about staying on a ranch with lots of things to do and kids to play with.

Gallup was less than two hours west of the ranch so the ranch house residents were alerted to expect an SUV pulling a travel trailer shortly before 1100. Dad planned to lead them to the cul-de-sac in the ATV.

Charlie Fielding was looking forward to seeing the boys and Ken. While he didn't know any of them well, they were a tiny part of his history and he hoped he and the boys would become better acquainted during their stay. His uncle Mac was also looking forward to the boys' visit, knowing he'd be meeting two more of his great-grandchildren.

Mac hadn't been as subtle as Jethro when told the number of Tim's donor offspring, he'd clapped his boy on the back and then laughed himself silly. He teased Tim about inviting them all to the ranch for a family party. When Shannon looked thoughtful at the suggestion, Tim shook his head in terror, trying not to hyperventilate. He had no responsibilities for, no obligations to these kids, none! He was willing to help if they needed him, like Ty, Brynie, Henry and now the Mays kids but that was it! Silently he wondered how many other sperm donors ended up raising, or financially supporting, their donor offspring. He'd read about a guy who'd fathered 150 from his donation, that made him shudder, happy with his 25, more than enough! Back when he'd made the donations, his goal was to give himself the possibility of a family, kids he could raise with love in far better circumstances than he'd faced with Sarah and Rob.

Tim was thinking about this as they waited for the SUV although he was soon distracted by his children who were almost as excited as they were Christmas mornings.

At first the kids thought they'd wait to get in the pool until Sean and Mark arrived but when they saw and heard the Palmer and Hubbard kids playing in the water, they looked pleadingly at their parents. Ellie laughed at them, "It wasn't our idea to wait! Go change and then wait for us." She and Tim decided to change later, Mackie was awake and playing but Joselyn was still out. Over the last few days she'd been teething and they decided her long nap this morning was making up for her lost sleep. At least her new tooth had broken through, that was always a relief!

The kids were in the foyer, all ready for their swim, when Poppy sent Daddy a text that an SUV with dark tinted windows and towing a trailer was here and they were on their way. Their parents laughed but the kids shrugged, knowing that sooner or later they'd be in the pool.

After tying Joselyn's baby monitor into his watch and Ellie's phone, the family remained in the house until the SUV parked in the driveway, it was too hot to wait outside! Holding Mackie, Lia and Henry's hands, the family stepped outside. Poppy was just reaching the SUV after parking the ATV in the street. He smiled proudly at his family and they returned the smile, Mackie pulling at his daddy's hand to go to Poppy.

As Ken exited the SUV, two young boys popped out of the backseat on the driver's side, Mark and Sean. The children stood staring at each other before their adults remembered their manners. Ken shook Tim and Ellie's hands, nodding to each of the Gibbs kids. And then there was a surprise as Avery climbed out of the front passenger seat of the SUV. "Surprise!"

Hurrying to the other side of the vehicle, Ellie and Tim greeted her with smiles, happy to hear that a cousin, an adult granddaughter of the great-aunt caring for Avery's mother, had volunteered to stay with Tessa for a couple of days. Tessa had urged her mother to go, she could see the ranch and have some extra time with the boys and their dad.

When the Gibbses noticed the wide grins on the faces of the adult Mays, eyebrows were raised and then they noticed two shiny new wedding bands. "We got married yesterday. Ken found an officiant who would come to the house and agreed to wear a mask and gloves. The boys suited up too so all of us were together."

"That's wonderful, congratulations!"

As Tim and Ellie met the boys, they saw that Tessa was right. Sean looked very much like Tim and anyone who saw the boy with any of his half-siblings would assume he was related to them. On some level, Tim got a kick out of that, having never thought he had memorable features. Until he saw them on his kids and thought each one of them beautiful.

Sean's twin Mark was a junior Leroy Jethro if there ever was one. His appearance made Ellie think his genes had totally ignored the Camden and Fielding contributions, utilizing only Gibbs' DNA.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Virtual hugs, prayers and best wishes to fellow writer and friend McPenname as she and her household struggle with multiple cases of Covid19, including McPenname herself. The same goes to everyone reading this who has, is or (shudders) will struggle through the virus.  
> Happy New Year! Let's hope, pray and do what we can to make 2021a better year for ourselves and each other. Stay healthy, wear our masks, wash hands, keep our distance, stay home (for now, looking forward to 'after' ;) ) and when available, get vaccinated. Please!  
> I'm looking forward to the January 19th airing of not one but TWO NCIS episodes here, including one that features Tim and Delilah. YAY!

Chapter 10

They didn't hang around outside long as waves of heat were already shimmering off the pavement. As Ken and Avery were staying overnight, the adults decided to bring their overnight bags and the boys' suitcases in now and leave the rest until the sun was down.

Joselyn was awake and wanted to eat but Jethro waved Ellie off, he'd get his littlest grandbaby fed while her mommy was playing hostess. Nearly 7 months, Joselyn knew her grandfather well and smiled as he picked her up, displaying her new tooth.

After they'd cooled off and had a quick tour of the house, the highlight being the boys' room, the two families sat down for lunch. After that, Daddy and Poppy took the Gibbs' kids to the pool while Ellie waited for the Mays to change into their swim suits, making sure they had plenty of sunscreen.

Avery smiled, "We're used to that. Sean burns easily followed by Tessa. Mark doesn't so much and now I understand why."

Ellie laughed, "The pale skin comes from Tim's maternal grandfather who is probably over at the pool already. You'll know as soon as you see him. Ken, Charlie Fielding will be there too, he's excited about seeing you and the boys. Avery?"

Avery smiled, "I won't have a problem, Ellie, thanks."

Ellie nodded and resumed her explanations, "Charlie's family name is Uncle Charlie, feel free to have the boys call him that, all the kids do. As far as our kids, like Mark, Henry resembles Jethro and his dad Jackson Gibbs and doesn't burn as easily. Lia and Mackie don't burn easily although with Mackie I think that's also due to my genes. Still, we apply plenty of sunscreen to all the kids and we all wear hats."

"Oh good. We do too but the boys don't always want to."

Ellie huffed, "No choice in our family. Each one of us either wears a hat or doesn't get to go swimming or biking or whatever the activity. And with all the doctors in the family, that only has to be said once for all of us to follow orders!"

Ellie led them across to the play center where Ken and Avery couldn't help but notice the 12-ft. high fence with a locked gate. Inside the fence, the big pool and the toddler pool were inside another fence, this one 8-ft., and locked gate. Avery also noticed security cameras and a red box with a pull-down handle on each fence, Ellie explained the boxes were alarms to be pulled in case of trouble. Although there was always at least one adult with the children and none of them swam alone, the group decided to install the alarms for any trouble they hadn't foreseen.

Outside the pool fence was a paved path meant for little people on roller skates, pedal cars or big wheels, tricycles or their own feet. The rest of the area was covered with various modes of play equipment, from baby to older kid swings, three sizes and shapes of slides, a tetherball on a tall metal pole, a hopscotch painted onto the pavement, basic gymnastic equipment, a teeter-totter, a shaded area called a pergola that provided shade for hammocks, bean bag chairs, a table and chairs, with covered boxes of books and games, a ping-pong table and a spray mister to keep the area cool.

Lest the current teens find the area too young for them, there was a basketball hoop, ping pong table and batting cage with a fence to stop the softballs from careening through the rest of the play center. The large oak tree had a couple of tire swings hanging from it and a cleverly concealed treehouse. The crowning glory of the play center was the 2-story fort built by Poppy, Uncle Tobias and Grandpa Jerry. The three men had a wonderful time building it, including everything the kids wanted and several things they themselves wished for as kids. The toddlers and preschoolers played on the 1st floor while the older kids had the upper floor.

Ken noticed a track set into the concrete, running around the edge of the pool deck and asked about it. Tim grinned, "That's where the climate control dome goes, so we can swim year-round." He pointed to the taller fence and Ken saw it had a tubing of some sort that ran the circumference, "We also have a cover for the entire area so the kids can play out here pretty much all the time. We haven't put in a solar heater yet, but we'll get around to that. Tell you the truth, we use the covers as much in the summer as in the winter. It's just too hot to be out here for very long. We have playrooms in our homes but we all like our kids to have plenty of fresh air and physical play. This way all the kids can play together, whereas the playrooms aren't big enough for the whole crowd."

Tim laughed, "Or they won't be; they are now while the youngest 6 are still babies but another year or two and we'd all need more room. Rather than turn our entire houses into playrooms, as a group we decided to build this play center and get it as close to year-round usage as possible."

The Mays were impressed and then laughed as their boys jumped into the pool. They quickly followed them in and swam a little although that was difficult as the pool was crowded.

They were surprised several minutes later when they heard a shrill whistle. Poppy grinned as heads popped up out of the water. "Sean, Mark, Avery, Ken, on weekends when the adults are home, we have times set aside for adults only in the pool. That means everyone under the age of 18 gets out and finds something else to do for 60 minutes, one hour. I strongly recommend drying off in the shade over there." Poppy pointed to the pergola. "There are cold drinks and snacks in the coolers there, make sure you have something to drink, it's easy to get dehydrated even when you're in the water. If you need a bathroom, there are two stalls next to the basketball hoop. There are plenty of games, toys and books, help yourselves.

"Lastly, we have a rule about adult swim: no whining about having to leave the pool. New kids get a one-time pass, other kids, you know the rules. Three whines about adult swim and you're out for the day. Ok, kids, time to get out. When it's time to get back in, you'll hear another whistle."

Sean and Mark looked at each other, eyes wide. They'd have to be careful not to whine, there was no way they wanted to lose their pool privileges for a whole day! Mark raised his hand and Poppy smiled at him, "Yes, Mark?"

"That's for the pool, right, Poppy? We wouldn't get kicked out of the whole play center?"

"Correct, you would not."

Avery and Ken turned their heads to hide their laughter, their boys would be fine here. They could have told Mark the ban would not include the entire play center, otherwise at least one parent or child-minder would have to leave too. When Avery whispered that the forbidden whines only pertained to the adult swim times, Ken snorted and whispered back that he wondered if that helped keep down the overall amount of whining. Both were impressed that it also applied to the teens.

The rest of the day passed quickly as more of the cul-de-sac families appeared in the play center and were introduced to the Mays. Sean and Mark were in seventh heaven with so many kids to play with. Ty and Brynie already liked them and Victoria, Hannah, Teddy and the younger kids followed their lead. The twins were in awe of Callum joining in the fun with them. He was a teenager hanging out with them, that just didn't happen in their world.

Ainsley and Matt were also there but in the twins' eyes they qualified as adults. That is until they had to get out for another adult swim and they spotted Ainsley making a face, opening her mouth to say something and then snapping it shut before words could escape. When the other kids giggled, Ainsley grinned at them, putting a finger to her lips in a "please don't tell" gesture.

People came and went as babies woke, needed to eat, sleep or be changed. Colonel Fielding, who asked to be called Charlie by Avery and Ken and Uncle Charlie by the boys, arrived with Eleni and spent a few happy minutes touting the wonders of living on the ranch. Ken was relieved, he'd been a little wary of Delilah's father.

Avery noticed that during adult swim, either an adult or one of the teens always made sure the kids had something to drink and went to the bathroom. Mostly it seemed to be one of the older adults as they had the pool to themselves all week and liked to spend time with the kids. At one point, Avery noticed one of Tim's grandmothers, she thought it was Penny, sitting at the table with the preschoolers and toddlers, coloring away with them. The other great-grandmother was playing tetherball with two little boys barely tall enough to reach the ball as it swung around to them. That was Grammie, Arin and Teddy.

By late afternoon, very few people were still in the pool. When the family doctors arrived, they decreed that anyone who'd been in the pool more than four hours total had had enough sun for the day. Ken laughed at the look Tim sent his sister the doctor, who singled him out. Like ducklings, his kids followed him up the steps of the pool, Henry and Lia followed by Brynie, Ty, Sean and Mark. Ellie, Mackie and Joselyn were already in the house, the babies having naps.

Back in the house, Ellie, who'd already showered and changed, watched the kids while the three adults took quick showers. Then it was the kids' turn and the Mays were once again impressed as the Gibbs kids, even the 2 not-quite-3-year-olds, brought their wet suits and towels to the laundry room after they were dressed. There was an old-fashioned tub-style sink in there and once all the wet suits were in, Tim filled it up, added baby detergent and let everything soak. When Avery commented, he smiled, "Need to get the chlorine out but putting them in the washer every day wears them out too fast. We soak them in cold water and gentle detergent, rinse them well and hang them out to dry in the shade. They'll be dry by the time we go to bed tonight."

There'd been some discussion of having an All Family barbecue to welcome the boys on Saturday night but ultimately Tim and Ellie decided against it. The boys would be tired and probably want to spend their evening hours with their dad before he left. With Avery along, they felt that decision was even more appropriate.

Instead of the whole family, Grandpa, Poppy, Nonny, Aunt Kelly, Uncle Matt, Uncle Charlie and Eleni joined them for dinner. Tim and Poppy grilled marinated chicken, along with vegetable kabobs, which were simple and liked by the whole family. Sean and Mark didn't seem to know what to think when Ty, Brynie and even the littles made happy noises about eating vegetables, they looked at each other, bravely taking their first bites. Their parents watched curiously and were glad to see the boys seemed to like the grilled veggies.

After dinner and before dessert, Avery, Ellie, Kelly and Shannon walked with the children to the barn to see the horses, sheep, goats, llamas and Henry's favorite 'apakas' while the men unloaded the twins' bicycles and other belongings from the travel trailer. The group reunited for ice cream with their choice of topping. When their offer to do the cleanup was refused, the Mays gratefully retired to their guestroom for a family chat with Tessa.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Avery and Ken left before dawn Sunday morning, confident their sons would be safe and cared for during a fun-filled summer. Mark and Sean were sad that morning but cheered up considerably after breakfast when Aunt Ellie, Uncle Tim, Ty and Brynie started talking about Ruidoso and how much fun it was. The kids got their favorite photos out, all the way back to their very first stay there and the two boys grinned happily, excited about swimming in the lake, hiking, fishing, renting paddleboards, outdoor movies and everything else that would happen!

They wouldn't have to wait long as the trip was coming up at the end of that week. In the meantime, there were plenty of things to do around the ranch and in town.

The week started out moving quickly as everyone who was going to Ruidoso started their preparations. The babies and littles went to daycare, giving their parents and minders time to sort out what would be taken. The older children stayed home, sorting their own belongings and helping where they could. Ty and Brynie, having been to Ruidoso twice before, were the acknowledged experts among the children. Their recent return from camp gave them even more authority and they made a list of what they liked to take, sharing with their cousins and friends. Sean and Mark were especially glad of that as they'd never before packed for themselves and would have taken everything they'd brought from home.

Barry, Ned and three pickup trucks with all their belongings arrived Wednesday evening. One truck parked in front of their temporary home, a guesthouse, while the other two continued on to the storage barn where the rest of their things would be stored until their new home was move-in ready.

The pair grinned happily when their resident brothers, sisters and friends appeared to help them move everything into their guesthouse. They were even happier when they found a pan of Lu's family famous apple crisp in the refrigerator. After everything was moved in, Tim hooked up their TV and other electronics. He'd already tied the electronics for the front gate and the gate to "The Grove" to their cell phones.

Within an hour, they were left to their unpacking while the others went home to continue washing, sorting and packing.

Thursday afternoon and evening, the pool and play area were empty of everyone but Ned and Barry as people finished their packing. In the case of the junior Gibbses, they did what they always did. Having overpacked, they now removed close to half of what they'd planned to take. Sean and Mark weren't sure what to think about that but there was so much laughter, they decided it didn't matter.

Most of the group heading for Ruidoso left mid-morning Friday, forming a much happier caravan than they had two years ago on their frantic drive from DC. Others would drive up later in the day.

Three hours later, the first group pulled into the resort, parking where they could while they checked in at the office for their cabins or motel rooms. As they'd requested, the junior Gibbses had the same cabin they'd had last year, with the senior Gibbses in a smaller cabin next door. The Palmers had the cabin next to them, which would be fun! It seemed to work out that way, with grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts and uncles sharing cabins between those with the little ones, as well as the 'big kids', Callum, Ainsley, Matt Crane, his brother Jeff, Em Fornell who was sharing the Chalmers' cabin with Bob's sister Haley, Kayla and Jared Vance and their family.

With the addition of baby Jossie and the Mays brothers, the junior Gibbses were a little more crowded this year but when Sean and Mark asked if they could share with the other boys, Ty, Henry and Mackie, that freed up the 'extra room' for all the kids' indoor toys. With bunkbeds in the kids' rooms, there was plenty of room for the twins.

They'd brought their lunches with them, along with all their perishables from home, so those were unpacked first. Then they sat down for a snack and a beverage. Tim and Ellie reminded the kids of the rules: no going anywhere without permission from one of them and no going near the lake without one of them or one of their grandparents, that is, Poppy, Nonny or…Ellie smiled, Grandma or Grandpa Jerry! That was a surprise for the kids, who jumped up and down and cheered! They repeated it when told Uncle George, Aunt Eileen, Nick and Kenna would also be here!

There were a few more rules but as Tim said, the littles had been a whole year younger last year and probably didn't remember the rules. Sean and Mark grinned at that, knowing most of the rules applied to the two of them, Ty and Brynie more than the littles.

After their snack, they changed into their swimsuits, stopping to slather on the waterproof sunscreen and the baby sunscreen for Jossie and put on their hats, which, after nearly a week, the Mays boys were used to, grabbed towels, an old portable playpen with a solid floor for Jossie and Mackie, water shoes, T-shirts in case they got too red, an insulated bag for bottles of water, Jossie's food and snacks, the diaper bag, their big beach umbrella, two folding chairs and off they went. They had a cart that they put the big stuff in, except for the umbrella and the playpen and the older kids helped carry the bags. Tim carried the playpen and Poppy carried the beach umbrella. Nonny pushed the stroller with Jossie and Mackie while Ellie pulled the cart, with help from the kids.

That first afternoon at the beach was a lot of fun, especially for those who'd been before and remembered how cold the water would be. They wore their water shoes, which helped them acclimate to the water faster and made it easier to walk in the lake. Encouraging words were given to the newbies who mostly waded in and immediately jumped out due to the cold. In time, everyone but the babies and toddlers, including Eleni and the four toddler cousins, Juli DiNozzo, Geo and Bec's son Alex and the Chalmers twins, had been in, with varying degrees of success.

While Sean Mays had quickly become accustomed to the cold water and was swimming, his brother Mark was still in the shallower and warmer water near the shoreline. Some of the adults were happy to stay there with him. While Lu had gone right in, even swimming for a bit, Charlie got as far as his knees and dipping Eleni's feet in. When she was quite happy and wanted more, Eileen Bishop offered to play with her.

In the meantime, the young adults, teens and 'tweens', that is, Haley Chalmers, Emily Fornell, Kayla and Jared Vance, Matt and Jeff Crane, Ainsley and Callum Hubbard and Ellie's nephew Nick and niece Kenna had spent some time out on the diving platform, having fun before slipping back under the rope to play with the younger kids and the babies.

Eventually all the dads plus Poppy carrying Mackie and Sarah carrying baby Timmy, carried Jossie and the toddlers into the lake and then, in a somewhat choreographed motion, dipped their toes in. All the little ones squealed, although not all were happy. While baby Timmy was excited, his twin was not, nor was little Alex. That was fine, they'd brought 2 wading pools with them and now filled one with lake water. When the water warmed up a bit, the toddlers who weren't excited about the lake sat in the wading pool and played. Eventually both pools were full with the littles. While Henry was older, he'd barely become used to the big pool at home, which was never cold. It took him a few days to become used to the lake. Then, he and Lia went in and out with their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.

Along with playing in the lake or wading pools every day, there were hikes, long and short, around the lake, to the dam, which was on the cabin side of the lake and at least two into the backcountry where Geordie and Tim had hiked on their first trip to Ruidoso. They found waterfalls and swimming holes and beautiful landscapes. Another day, the junior Gibbses put Jossie and Mackie into the double stroller and all of them went for a walk through the campgrounds. People were friendly and they saw some of the children they knew from the beach.

The ice cream shack was visited nearly every day, following the pattern Tim and Sarah noticed the first time they were there, ice cream first, then lunch. It might not have been terribly healthy but it certainly cut down on the time wasted standing in line!

When there were enough childminders, Tim and Geo would slip into the art gallery and by the end of their vacation, each had purchased a couple more photos and/or paintings of the area. Other favorite stops after swimming were the sports store, the grocery store and Poppy's favorite, the coffee shop, on the shaded boardwalk that fronted the road in. When Tim brought all of his kids into the grocery store one day, Jossie in a daddy pack on his back, the manager insisted on taking a photo of them all to add to their collection. When Tim was curious about that, the woman showed him the collection with hundreds of photos, many of families as they visited every year. There was one family that had been coming here for 6 generations! He also saw where their family spot was and showed the kids. That first year after they'd just been released from WITSEC and Ty and Brynie were preschoolers. Last year, after the release from shelter, when Ellie was pregnant with Joselyn and now this year's would be added. Tim made a mental note to make sure that the elders of the family, Grandpa Mac, Ducky, Maisie, Penny and Colonel Barnes appeared in the photos every year. And maybe Charlie, although in age he was more in line with Uncle Dave, Aunt Liz and Lu.

Trips outside the resort were also fun, to another lake nearby that was just as cold, and horseback riding for several of the kids and adults. Poppy, Uncle Jim, Grandpa Jerry, Ellie and Breena went on that excursion with Ty, Byrnie, Sean, Mark, Hannah Hubbard and Victoria while Tim and Jimmy stayed at Pinecrest with Lia, Henry, Mackie, Jossie, Teddy and Ricky, the two younger Palmer children.

It was fun having Ellie's parents there again, along with newcomers George, Eileen, Nick and Kenna Bishop. Although they'd sheltered with everyone, it'd been over a year since the George Bishop family had seen everyone and they had a good time getting reacquainted.

As great vacations always do, theirs came to an end too soon. After days of sunshine and sunscreen, swimming, ice cream treats, hiking, walking, bike riding, paddle boating, sailing, paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, horseback riding, watching outdoor movies, enjoying the group campfires, the nightly cookouts in front of their cabins and all the meals they'd shared, they shook the sand and rocks from their shoes and towels, bought their last postcards and souvenirs for the year, took photos of the line of cars and trucks, their baggage piled beside each one, had a last group photo taken and drove home. As always, they were sad to be leaving but already looking forward to next year's trek back to 'their lake' as Ty and Brynie still called it.

Tim and Ellie looked forward to that, thinking they'd only have one child in diapers by then, Jossie would be almost as old as Mackie was now and the 4 shelter babies would be 2. While next year's babies, Kelly, Matt, Rob and Ali's would be young, the couple hoped they'd all still come.

Sean and Mark had already decided that they'd persuade their parents to have next year's family vacation here in Ruidoso when everyone else was here. They'd sent them postcards and purchased gifts for their sister, parents and grandparents. While they'd been here, they'd had a Skype call with their parents and Tessa and were happy to see them. Tessa looked a lot better and she smiled the whole time they talked.

Back at the ranch, the twins laughed when the van was unloaded, they all helped bring the luggage in, they had a snack and then Aunt Ellie said, "I'm hot, let's go for a swim!"

Jossie and Mackie had napped on the way home, so they all changed into their swim suits, went through their routine and headed for the pool. They laughed when the Palmers came wandering in, followed by the Hubbards, Chalmers', DiNozzos, the Crane boys, Em and Haley, and the George Bishops, who were staying in the barn. Charlie and Lu brought Eleni over, disappearing again when the other adults promised to keep an eye on her. She was perfectly happy playing with the kids and cuddling with her aunts and uncles.

By late afternoon, everyone was waterlogged and tired and slowly they headed to their homes, Eleni joining the Palmers as Tim and Ellie were at 'full capacity'. On Saturday, they said a sad goodbye to the George Bishops as they headed home to Tahlequah, Oklahoma. They'd traveled in their RV and might stop at a KOA campground on the way home or drive straight through. They promised to send a text if they stopped and another when they reached home. Ellie, the kids and Tim were thankful Barbara and Jerry weren't leaving, in fact they'd decided to stay all summer. They wanted to help Ellie, Tim, Jethro and Shannon with all the grandkids and really, they missed being with the kids, all of them. With Ellie's brothers and nephew Nick doing the work on the ranch, Jerry could be away without worrying.

When Day Camp started not long after their return from the mountains, the Mays brothers had fun there, too, meeting more kids and enjoying playing softball, basketball, archery and of course, swimming. There were relay races, both on land and in the pool and that was a lot of fun.

The Saturday between the two weeks of Day Camp, both sets of grandparents joined the junior Gibbses at the house, grinning. Ty and Brynie knew that meant there was a surprise coming and Sean and Mark picked up on their excitement. When everyone gathered in the family room, Tim and Ellie stood. "Kids, we have a surprise for you! When Day Camp is over, we'll be home for a few days before taking another trip, another vacation!"

Sean and Mark looked at each other, a little confused and worried. They thought that's when they were going home. Not that they were in a hurry to go back to school or minded another vacation!

After the cheers quieted, along with Jossie and Mackie's squeals, Ellie continued, "We're flying to California where we've rented a house on a beach near San Diego for two weeks!"

Tim smiled at the Mays' boys, "Sean, Mark, your mom will meet you at the airport when we get there. We hope you'll have time to spend with us on the beach before your classes start."

"Tessa's 100 days will be over by then, won't they?"

"Yes, by the time we get there she'll be done, so you can live at home again."

With grins, the two boys fist bumped, glad they wouldn't have to go from their dad's to their grandparents house all the time. Sean thought of something else, "Who's going to bring all our stuff home? Our bikes and things."

"The Cranes are renting an RV to drive to San Diego, they'll take your bikes and everything that can't go on the plane and bring it all to your mom's place when they get in, before they join us at the beach." Tim tilted his head, "They're leaving on Thursday to do some sightseeing along the way, so you will be without your sports stuff for a few days but they've said you can use their bikes here after they take yours. And we're leaving Friday night so you won't have much time to miss your things."

"Wow, that's great! Thank you for taking care of all that!"

Barbara raised her hand, "I've lost track, who else is going?"

"The Palmers, the Mallards, Penny, Grandpa, Charlie, Eleni and Lu will fly with us Friday. The Chalmers, DiNozzos, the Colonel, Geordie and Bec and the Vances will join us our second week, although without Kayla.

"You four are staying with us, along with Grandpa and Penny. There's a den downstairs with a sofabed and Grandpa wants that room." With a grin, Tim added, "It has its own TV and he likes to watch some of the old shows at 2 and 3 in the morning!

"The Palmers have rented a house and I believe the Mallards, Charlie and Lu are staying with them. That way Eleni will be around the Palmer kids.

Tim smiled, "Now, before we go to San Diego, I'll leave a few days early and visit my offices in Chicago, Seattle and San Diego. So I will also meet you at the airport in San Diego when your plane lands."

"How come you're doing that, Daddy?"

"Because I'm their boss and I haven't met some of them in person. And as the boss, I should visit my offices in person every couple of years. If I do it now, when we're going to be traveling anyway, then I don't have to be away on a separate trip later. Your grandparents, the Palmers and your great-grandparents will be on the flight to San Diego with your mother and all of you."

"When are you leaving?"

Ellie brought out their calendar and pointed to two days. "We're leaving on Friday night after I'm done with work. Your dad's leaving Tuesday night after work. He's flying to Chicago, will stay overnight there, go to the office on Wednesday and after work on Wednesday, he'll fly to Seattle. He'll sleep in Seattle, visit the office on Thursday and then fly to San Diego. He'll stay overnight in our beach house and drive our rental van to the office on Friday. Then he'll come straight to the airport to pick us up!"

Brynie shook her head, "Daddy, that's a lot of work, you're going be really tired!"

Tim chuckled, "Then I'll take naps on the beach when Jossie does!"

Ty raised his hand, "What about the sharks?"

Ellie smiled "The beach has lifeguards and boats to get people who go out too far. That won't be us! They also have scanners that show them what fishies are swimming around us. So they'll know. Your daddy also has a scanner on his phone to keep watch. If there are sharks around, we'll swim in the pool."

"Where?"

"The house has a pool! Want to see pictures?"

They all did and were quickly 'oohing' and 'ahhing' over the house, the backyard, pool and the beach.

Mark pointed to one of the umbrellas on the beach. "We've been there before, it's a really nice beach. There aren't a lot of noisy people and we always rent an umbrella."

Sean grinned, "There's a snack shack, too."

Everyone was in favor of that!

The days passed quickly and all too soon, for Tim and Ellie anyway, he was kissing everyone goodbye as he left for work the day he was flying to Chicago. He had everything he needed for work and play with him in his rolling garment bag and his carry-on bag, which also had his laptop. The case for it was tucked into the garment bag.

He left the office at 2:00 for the 2 hour, 45 minute flight to Chicago. His protection detail, who would be with him the entire business trip, was waiting downstairs in an SUV with a driver. Timmons, the team lead, opened the door for him, "Good afternoon, Regional Director Gibbs. The aircraft is ready and waiting for us at the airfield."

Tim nodded. He hadn't mentioned it to the kids, but with his position, Regional Director of the CCUs, he had access to the NCIS jet, as long as the Director wasn't scheduled to use it. This week he'd use it to fly to his offices and when it was time for all of them to leave San Diego, they'd fly home on it. Everyone but the director and him would still have to pay but it was less expensive and private. Leon told him that Geo and Maggie, as active duty military, would also ride for free. Although both had again been released to the reserves, Leon had enough discretionary authority to approve.

Although he'd intended to do a little work on the flight, he napped instead, enjoying the quiet. He was served a snack and a glass of iced tea about halfway through the flight.

On the ground, he waited for his detail to clear the area before he disembarked with his carry-on. As he and the detail were the only passengers, their garment bags had been hung inside the cabin.

Sending a quick text to Ellie that he was on the ground in Chicago, he watched as they drove to his hotel. It was one Leon recommended and when Tim walked into his room, he understood why! Almost wishing he was staying more than one night, he poked into every corner, opening every door. He laughed to himself, he could fit his entire old apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland, into this room! Taking a couple of photos, he sent them to Ellie.

Then, removing what he wanted to wear to the office tomorrow from his garment bag, he noticed a steamer and took it and his clothes into the bathroom. When he was satisfied that he'd removed all the wrinkles, he changed into his swim suit, grabbed towels and a robe, slid into his flip flops and left for a long swim. It was strange not to have a bunch of kids in the pool with him and it was very quiet, even though he wasn't the only one in the pool.

Back in his room, he dried off, dressed and waited for a call. Smiling when the room phone rang, he answered to hear Abby's voice.

"You're here, yay! I'm in the lobby. Do you want to eat here or somewhere else?"

"Do you have any favorite places?"

"Not yet, I've been so busy I haven't eaten out much."

"Then let's just eat here. I'll be right down."

Waiting in the lobby, Abby was surprised to see men in suits go into the restaurant and then come out. That sure looked like a protection detail to her, she wondered who else might be staying here?

When Tim exited the elevator with one of the guys in suits, her eyes widened. She knew he was a Regional Director but it was Tim, her friend. She never thought about his position in the agency! She mentally shook her head, remembering her surprise at the size of his office the first time she saw it.

He smiled when he saw her and she relaxed, this was still Tim, her friend Tim. Yes, he'd changed, he was married with kids and was getting closer to Leon's level in the agency, nevertheless he was still Tim.

They had a fun dinner, talking about old times and new adventures. He was surprised and happy to hear that she'd been dating someone for several weeks and that she loved her job. "I have my own team, it's wonderful! Scary, too, but I keep all my notes in my desk from the Management seminar so I can look things up. If I have any questions, I was assigned a kind of mentor in Human Resources and she's very helpful." She chuckled, "Mostly she just calms me down."

Although the time difference was negligible, Tim was tired and Abby had an early morning ahead so they didn't linger long after finishing their meals. Back in his room, Tim checked his watch, the babies were in bed but the littles wouldn't be yet. Calling home, he spent some time talking with the older four kids and his wife, hearing about their days. Blowing them kisses, he finally signed off, checked his clothes to make sure he hadn't missed any wrinkles and then fell into bed, sleeping like the proverbial log.

Meeting the SSAIC of the Central Field Office for breakfast at the hotel the next morning, he teased the man a little about the case he'd worked with Gibbs' team many years ago. His name was Richard Owens and Gibbs had ordered him in from Pearl to help with a case he'd had as an Agent Afloat. Owens laughed when Tim mentioned it. "Whatever happened to them? I noticed you have the same surname as the team lead. He was one tough son of a gun!"

Tim grinned, "He's mellowed some since he retired. Semi-retired, he conducts physical training sessions at FLETC a couple of times a year. And yes, I have the same surname. I worked for him for over a decade when we discovered I'm his son. I moved over to the CCU, he retired when we had to evacuate DC and here we are."

"Wow, that must have a been a shock! And I know Agent Todd was killed in the line of duty."

Tim nodded, saying, "Dad, Tony and I still miss her."

"Tony DiNozzo? Are you in touch with him?"

"Gibbs adopted him last year so he's officially my older brother. He has his own team, married a Marine Captain who's now a reservist and they have two kids."

"Wow, that's…he married a Marine! Gibbs must get a kick out of that!"

Tim nodded, "Oh, he does!"

Eventually, they rode into the office and Owens took him to the CCU where he met the manager in person for the first time. They had a meeting in the agency's briefing room with Tim introducing himself and telling them how happy he was that they were finally out of their shelter! That got a lot of nods and he congratulated them on the quality and volume of work they'd been able to do while still sheltering.

"It's been noticed all the way up the line, believe me. There were three cases that could have been a lot uglier than they were because of your quick and thorough work. I bring heartfelt thanks from Secretary Porter, Director Vance and me. Well done, give yourselves a hand!"

Motioning them up, he and the manager applauded them as they applauded each other. After they were seated again, he told them of the CCUs national and worldwide results and discussed a few of the plans he and the director had for the future. Then he opened the meeting for questions and they had several interesting discussions. They were just about finished when the door popped open and the caterers moved in with their lunch.

The cyber techs were blown away. They'd never had any more acknowledgment than a thank you from Director Vance, which was always appreciated. The 3 techs who'd joined them from DC had told them about Tim, how he'd worked to make their workstations and the department as a whole more comfortable and efficient, adding in what they'd heard from former workmates now in Albuquerque, about the vending machines, being out of the basement and the alternate work zones and acknowledging their work.

Now they were being told they'd have more training with the Field Agents so that communications between them would be easier and working cases together wouldn't be such a headache. When Tim said that he considered them criminal investigators, it shocked them but when he detailed what they did, it made sense. They might not carry weapons or physically bust criminals, but they did investigate and solve crimes.

Tim left after the lunch, pleased with his visit and their response. Back at the hotel, he changed his clothes, packed up and he and his detail left for Seattle, a flight that would take a little over 4 ½ hours.

With a two hour time difference, he probably could have scheduled his visits with Chicago and Seattle CCUs for the same day but was glad he hadn't. The flight might not be commercial but it was still a flight and he was more than ready for a swim and an early night when they landed near the office.

As the office was more than an hour's drive outside of Seattle, he wasn't staying in the city, much to his disappointment. However, his hotel was every bit as well appointed and comfortable as the one in Chicago. He swam and then asking for recommendations, went out for an early dinner to a waterside restaurant. Gus Timmons, the lead on his detail, ate with him, which suited Tim just fine. He didn't mind breakfast or lunch alone but eating dinner alone in a restaurant always felt a little awkward to him. He'd known Gus for years so they had plenty to chat about as they ate.

While Tim didn't like fish, he loved shellfish and thoroughly enjoyed his surf and turf dinner. He missed that about the DC area, restaurants on the Potomac or along the estuaries, serving fresh shellfish from the Chesapeake or the ocean. He missed the Chesapeake, Sandy Point Park, the estuaries where you could kayak or canoe. Asking Gus what places he missed most, besides his home, the two men talked for over an hour about their favorite places.

Back at the hotel, Tim called home and chatted with his family, glad to see his in-laws there too. Ellie was happy he'd had someone to eat with again tonight – and tomorrow night he'd be at their beach rental house in San Diego! He brightened at that.

His breakfast meeting with the Northwest SSAIC, Jane Melankovic, was interesting and fun as the two laughed about DiNozzo's antics during a case they'd worked together in the Mayport office during Tim's probationary year. He'd teased Tim about reading a woman's magazine and then ate some food off of Case Agent Melankovic's desk without asking.

The meeting with his CCU manager, Maria Camarillo, went very well. He thanked her for housing 15 of his folks during the attack and when they were sheltering afterward. Three of them were still here, the rest had relocated to other offices, six of them had asked to be transferred to overseas offices. Meeting with the teams much as he had in Chicago, he thanked them for their hard and smart work, conveying the thanks of Secretary Porter, Director Vance and his personal thanks for their dedication.

He saw surprise, shock and thoughtful looks when he mentioned the cross-training plans and was happy when they asked questions. When lunch arrived, he could see they were surprised again, and this time pleased as well. Looking around the area they occupied, he thought about the possible changes he and Camarillo had discussed and hoped it would make as much difference as it had in Albuquerque.

He grinned as he left the office. Retrieving his luggage from the hotel, they were at the airfield before 2:00 PM, ready for the flight to San Diego. On the flight down, Tim asked Timmons where the detail was staying, as the rental house was in Preston, several miles north of the city. Before the man could answer, Tim said, "We've got plenty of room, why don't you guys stay at the house tonight?"

Timmons thought about it before agreeing. The two man detail could split shifts and they'd be right there should anything happen. It was a little unorthodox but they'd still maintain their shift schedules and protecting the Regional Director was their job, it really didn't matter where they slept.

Landing at the base in San Diego, Tim climbed into the waiting SUV and they drove north to the rental. He smiled as it came into view, he'd loved this house on the virtual tour and now that he saw it in person, he almost felt like he was coming home. Shaking that off, he waited in the SUV with the driver while the house was cleared. Then he entered, smiling as he walked in. He couldn't wait for Ellie, the kids, his parents and in-laws, Penny and Grandpa to join him!

Hanging his garment bag in the closet in the master bedroom, Tim was taking tomorrow's clothes out, he'd use the shower to steam the wrinkles out, when Timmons knocked on the door. "The couch in the living room is a sofa bed and there's a roll-away bed in one of the downstairs closets, so we'll sleep on those.. We've also got two agents coming in, one is on her way, she'll stand the first watch, then Miller will relieve her at 2130, I'll relieve him at 0:30 and the second agent will stand the early morning watch from 0330 to 0630. Then Miller will take over until we're ready to leave."

Tim nodded, "You're off after I'm done."

"After we meet everyone at the airport."

"You're on for that, too?"

"Yes. It was our decision to get everyone to the house, then we're off shift until your flight home." At Tim's look, Gus chuckled, "We'll cover for two of the security officers at the Field Office while they go on leave, with some leave time for us in there, too."

Tim nodded, "Good, 'leave time' for yourselves is what I wanted to hear."

"Your rental vehicle will be delivered here in about an hour. We decided that was easier. We have a 16 passenger van we'll use for the airport tomorrow. Thought we could bring the kids and their parents in that and then the older folks will be in SUVs plus the luggage."

"Wow, I wasn't planning on all of that, yay! You know about Avery Camden picking up her boys?"

"Yes, we've already coordinated with her. I don't think she knew what you do at the agency or your title. She was surprised to hear that you'd have a protection detail and even more so when I explained your position as one of our directors."

Tim laughed, "She met me as Gemcity and then a possible donor for her daughter. I doubt I ever mentioned my title and they spent their time in Albuquerque at the ranch with my family, so no mentions there."

Timmons smiled, "That's good, what we like, as much anonymity as possible!"

Tim was already unpacked and in the pool when the first extra agent arrived. He met her after he'd finished swimming his laps, showered and dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. As she made her rounds, he slipped out the back door with his badge and ID. "Agent Davis, I'm Regional Director Gibbs, glad to meet you. Thanks for coming up here this evening."

They shook hands and the agent said, "You're welcome, sir. I work here in Preston, we're a sub-office of the Field Office."

"Oh good, then you won't have far to go. Excellent!"

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Tim grinned when he called home that night as everyone wanted to see the house. After all the oohs and ahhs, they chatted a bit before disconnecting. He went for an evening swim before heading off to bed.

The meeting in the Southwest Field Office the next day went just as well as the others. The breakfast meeting with the SSAIC was good, even though they had no shared history other than working at the agency.

Tim was happy to see Dallas Smits again, now the Manager here and his former SIC in DC and friend from his first time in the basement, during Vance's mole hunt. The two hugged, quickly catching up. The group here also had several techs who'd worked for Tim in DC and they caught up over their catered lunch. As with the other offices, Tim thanked the CCU staff for their smart work and talked to them about being criminal investigators. He saw some surprised faces and a lot of smiles.

Waving goodbye after lunch, Tim hopped in the 16 passenger vehicle waiting for him and they headed for the airport. He was in Baggage Claim, already pulling his family's luggage off the carousel when Avery Camden arrived. She grinned, "I'm so excited to see my sons, thank you for taking such good care of them!"

Then she leaned in, "I had no idea you're part of the NCIS hierarchy! I was shocked when your lead security guy called!"

Tim grinned, "At home, I'm just me, husband, father, son, grandson, brother and uncle and occasionally Gemcity. He's who you met first, followed by me at home. How are you and Tessa?"

"We're doing wonderfully, thank you. Tessa gets stronger every day, Joselyn saved her life! And Ken will be home on Sunday!"

"Great! Is Tessa allowed out yet, I've lost track of the number of days left."

"Because of that fever she had shortly after she came home, her 100 days won't be complete until the end of August. I believe the next step will be slowly reintroducing her to the outside world. She's finished all her class work from last year and will begin the new term attending from home. I don't know if she'll eventually be allowed to attend classes at the school or continue online, maybe two days there, three days at home or half days. We'll see. I have a call into the doctor to see if she can come to the beach with us. We'll rent an enclosed ATV, so she won't be exposed to anyone but whichever one of us drives it. At least that way she can get out of the house for a few hours."

"That's a great idea!"

She started to say something when her sons' voices could be heard, "Mom, MOM, hey, we're here!"

They nearly jumped into her arms as the rest of the family came off the escalator. Tim's dad appeared from the elevator with Jossie and Mackie, both of whom squealed when they saw him. He greeted his wife and children with hugs and kisses, thinking how wonderful his life was and hoping, praying, that Tessa and her brothers, all of his kids, would have an equally wonderful life.

He grinned as his dad managed to wrap his arms around him, even though he was holding Jossie. Here they were, ready for another adventure! He couldn't believe all the love he was given and had found. Life was great!

**_The End_ **

**_The next and last planned addition to this universe will not be posted for several weeks as I still have a lot of work to do on it. In the meantime, I am working on a couple of other stories for your reading pleasure. I wish you all the best as we make our way through this new year. Stay safe and well and try to keep looking forward to better times. Hugs around the world!_ **

**_My best to you and yours,_ **

**_Gottahavemyncis_ **


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